Rise of the Viral Empire
by Witch Knight Daisy
Summary: Full-length version of "Fall of a Fix-It." An old foe comes back for revenge, by turning a certain handyman's life 180 degrees and starts infecting the entire arcade. First of the "Viral Empire" series. Rated strong T.
1. Prologue

**Finally had some time to upload this one! The full-length version to "Fall of a Fix-It." It is the first of either a two-part or a trilogy (haven't gotten that far yet). In any case, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Prologue**

"Those fools! Curse them!" King Candy/Turbo cursed, floating through the many codes surrounding him in the code room of _Sugar Rush._ Unbeknownst to anyone, he had barely survived the Cola mountain eruption, with half of his Cy-Bug body intact (and head still in King Candy form). Being stuck in the code room (which he escaped to) of the racing game he supposedly had died in was no fun. Luckily, no one in the game suspected a thing or noticed him (not even Vanellope or Sour Bill. But he had to find a way out before someone _did _find him; otherwise it would be a huge mess. And all the while, wheels were turning in his head for revenge plots against the glitch and the warthog who had humiliated him.

Then he heard the doors to the chamber open, revealing his former henchman Sour Bill. The depressed advisor was glancing out at the codes (under orders of Vanellope), where everything seemed to be normal. Candy/Turbo stayed hidden among the codes, but Sour Bill spotted something wrong when the piece of candy's eyes fell in the tyrant's direction.

"Hmmm.." Sensing something wrong, Bill floated into the room, wondering what the enormous shadow in the middle of the codes were.

_Now's my chance!_ Seeing the door wide open, Candy quietly headed for it, careful not to run into any codes or panels and raise Sour Bill's suspicions any further.

"Must've been seeing things..." Bill said to himself, his monotone voice carrying in the code room. Then he was started by a _slam_. He spun around to see that the door had slammed shut behind him. Quickly floating over to it, he tried to pry it open, but it was no use. He was trapped. _No! No!_ His fear was starting to kick in as he was banging on it. Someone had definitely been in the room when came in to check it. And it also told him that that "shadow" hadn't been a hallucination.

_President, I hope you notice me missing! And be careful! There's someone out there!_

* * *

"Hoo hoo hoo! That was easier than I expected," King Candy/Turbo cackled, for a second his head glitching to the latter. "Good luck getting out of there, Sour Bill. Of course, that'll be _after_ I kill that glitch and her friends. And then I'll take over the arcade!"

**I know it's a bit short, but it's a good start and my first time using Cy-Bug Candy. I thought about just using Turbo at first, but his Cy-Bug form would make it more fun and a lot more creepier, don't you think? Again, this is the full-length version of "Fall of A Fix-It." First chapter coming soon! Reviews, ideas, and constructive crit are welcome and encouraged. But please, no flames.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 1**

"All clear! Arcade's closed!" Yuni called from _DDR_.

"_Tapper_ anyone?" Felix offered the Nicelanders and Ralph in _Fix-It Felix Jr._ He had agreed to meet his wife Sergeant Calhoun there to hang out.

"I'll join later, Felix," Ralph said, "I'm heading to _Sugar Rush_ first to check up on Vanellope."

"Ah, don't worry about him, Felix," Gene joined the handyman, "I'll come along. Not to interfere in your date, though."

"Thanks, Gene," Felix smiled. "So we'll see you later, Ralph?"

"Yeah, later." the wrecker smiled as he boarded the train to Game Central Station.

...

"I just can't beat, Vanellope," Rancis complained as he dismounted his kart. "Why?"

"'Why' is a dumb question, Rancis," said Taffyta, "You couldn't beat any of us, even when that King Candy whatever was ruler. Ugh, I hate him so much!"

"He's gone now, Taffyta," Candlehead patted her friend's shoulder.

"But every time I think about him, it..." the pink-clad racer groaned. "Too many bad memories."

"Just don't think about him and you'll be fine," Vanellope assured her.

"You're right," Taffyta sighed. "He's gone. He died in that eruption. No way can he come back from that! And you know what sounds good right now?"

"Burgers?" Rancis inquired.

"Yep. From _Burger Time_." Taffyta hopped into her kart, ready to head for Game Central Station.

"You coming, Vanellope?" Candlehead asked the princess.

"Yeah, why not? Stinkbrain's probably waiting out there. Wonder how he's doing today."

The other three racers laughed.

"The usual, maybe," Taffyta said, "Getting thrown off a building. Now come on, I'm getting hungry." With that, she raced off, along with Rancis and Candlehead.

Vanellope later followed suit, ready to meet up with her three friends.

* * *

"You know, Taffyta. You have every right to harp on about me," King Candy/Turbo had been watching the racers' conversation from the candy cane forest. He'd barely made it out of the castle unseen. "Especially when I can strike at any moment. And that _will_ be soon. Revenge and the arcade will be mine, and that glitch and her friends will be bowing before me this time. But I won't use _Sugar Rush_ this time. They'll suspect that. I'm thinking more on...hoo hoo...that warthog and shrimp's turf." The tyrant laughed darkly just thinking about it.

_Yes, I will definitely enjoy this!_

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Sorry this one took so long!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire **

**Chapter 2**

"You're late, Fix-It!" Calhoun scolded playfully as she waved Felix over to a table.

"Felix," Gene whispered to the handyman when he caught sight of a couple of girls at a nearby table. "I'll be right here if you need me." The Niceland mayor made his way over to the two women, grooming himself on the way. Felix headed over to his wife's table, taking a seat next to her and planting a kiss on her cheek.

"So, how's life in your game?" Tamora asked, smirking.

"Not a lot of players today, which is a first. Looks like it wasn't a lot of kids today, huh?"

"There hasn't been, dear. It might have been just the regulars showing up today. It's been pretty quiet these past few days."

Felix nodded in agreement. "You're right. It _has _been a bit quiet."

"Ah, Fix-It Felix," Tapper approached their table. "What can I do for ya?"

"The usual root beer," Felix replied. When Tapper left, he turned back to his wife, who for a second, snorted. "What's so funny?"

"When are you going to get something a little...stronger? Have you even tried alcohol?" she asked.

Felix was taken aback by the sudden question. He had only tried an alcoholic beverage once, which had been a beer, and it made him so tipsy the naxt morning his game had been off. He looked up at Calhoun, who was ever so curious.

"Once," he said. "And I promised never to drink any more after that."

"And how are our love birds doing?"

"Vanellope?" Felix noticed the princess behind him with Ralph. "And Ralph. I knew you'd join us. Just had to pick up a package, I see." He glanced at Vanellope, whose arms were crossed with annoyance.

"Very funny, Hammer Time," she smirked. "So how's everything in your love nest?"

Calhoun spit out her drink in shock. "Do you really need to know that right now, runt? Aren't you a little young?"

"Oh, come on! The code makes me look like I'm too young! It's not like I'm that nosy Alex Kidd."

"Alex Kidd's not human, though." Felix reminded as Tapper brought his root beer. He thanked him, then regarded the princess again. "That means Kidd could know such things."

"Right." Vanellope rolled her eyes. "And I can't. Sometimes I can't help but think that's worse than being a glitch."

"Don't worry, kid," Ralph patted the princess on the shoulder, "Hey, you're president. Who's better than that?"

"Trying to cheer me up, huh, Stinkbrain?"

"Is it working?"

"It probably is, Wreck-It," Calhoun said, "Otherwise, she would've started on with the questions again."

"About us, no doubt," added Felix, "Who else would I fall in..." Suddenly the handyman felt a sharp pain in his head.

"What's wrong, Fix-It?" Calhoun asked, trying to comfort him.

"For some reason, my head feels like someone's banging on it."

"I'll take you home, dear. Maybe the root beer was so cold it went up to your brain, maybe."

"No, I'll be fine," Felix insisted as the pain started to subside.

"Are you sure?" Vanellope asked, "'Cause that looked like one serious headache."

"I told you. I'm fine. Fit as a fiddle."

"If you say so, Felix," Ralph shrugged, but then noticed something. The wrecker's eyes fell on the handyman's hammer, its gold color starting to fade. _That headache might not have been a headache._

_..._

"Hmm, pretty small for a game featuring a warthog and a small fry." King Candy mused as he entered _Fix-It Felix Jr._. "Given that I've never been in it before, let alone found its codes. Hoo hoo, looks like I'll have to find someone in here who knows where the code room is." The tyrant then saw two Nicelanders walking past and into the large apartment, staying hidden near the dump. Suddenly something hard was brushing against him.

"%#$!"

"What...?" Candy looked down to see an orange, snout-like creature glancing up at him. _Q*bert_? _He doesn't look like he's part of this game, but he's probably been here long enough to know something._

"&^# ?"

"Enough! Now, I know you know something about this game, so you can answer a simple question: Where's the code room to this game?"

?!%$#!" Q*bert replied.

"What?"

"%*#$&!"

"I don't understand. Where?"

"$%# !"

King Candy was at the end of his rope with the small creature, who was just staring at him blankly.

"Sweet mercy!"

"Is that who I think it is? What's he doing here?"

The tyrant turned away from Q*bert to notice the two Nicelanders (the same two from earlier) come out. He'd been caught, but his revenge plans still lived, knowing one of them would know where the game's codes lied. He flew over to them, blocking the apartment and preventing escape.

"Tell me where the code room is for this game!" he demanded, "And lying...hoo hoo hoo...will kill you. You may be in your game, but I have my ways."

"Didn't Ralph kill you?" one asked.

"Answer my question. That warthog thought he did! Now, one of you _will_ talk!"

"I don't know where the code room is!"

"I _will_ consume you! Tell me or it won't be pretty!" Candy moved closer to them, snatching one up in his claws. "You, talk! Unless you don't care about your little friend here!"

"Alright! It's in the basement of the apartment!" the other Nicelander replied in a panic.

"Deanna!" the one in the claw cried. "We promised Gene we'd never tell anyone about the codes to the game!"

"Good midget." Candy smiled with satisfaction, setting her down. "Show me."

...

"So, Ralph? Wanna head back to _Sugar Rush_ with me?" offered Vanellope. "You know, to catch up some more?"

"Sure. The usual." The wrecker and Vanellope were headed to the racing game. "See ya before the arcade opens, Felix?"

"As always, Brother...ugh!" the handyman grabbed his head, this time the pain hitting harder.

"Fix-It!" Calhoun supported her husband, holding him steady.

"It's okay. Just a headache."

"You're going home, soldier."

"But I'll be..."

"Sorry, that's an order." Calhoun cut him off, leaving no room for arguments.

"Let's at least go to my game to rest," Felix suggested, as his headache was starting to get worse. As he and his wife was headed toward the _Fix-It Felix__ Jr._ port, Calhoun's eyes fell on Felix's hammer, whose golden color was a lot paler, almost white.

_Strange. Fix-It's hammer's going awry. Noticed this in_ Tapper, she thought. _When he had the headache. Hmm... I'm thinking that headache's more than just a headache._

* * *

Felix and Calhoun went up to the penthouse as soon as they were in the game. The handyman was quickly ordered to his room to rest while his wife joined him a few minutes later.

"Wonder where all the other midgets are," said Calhoun.

"I know Gene's still in _Tapper_, probably trying to get with Ulala and Pudding. You know, the two news reporters from _Space Channel 5_."

"I know them, and they wouldn't even give that jerk of a mayor five seconds."

"But Deanna and Mary never left. Well, Mary might've did this time, but they both usually hang out here. Wonder where they are."

"Felix!"

"Gene?" Felix jumped out of bed, Calhoun behind him to meet the Niceland mayor in the den. The latter looked panicked.

"What is it, dwarf?" the commando asked.

"Someone's been in the code room! Mary and Deanna are...locked up there!"

"Locked up?" Felix repeated, "By whom?"

"Who else?" a familiar voice was heard.

"That voice..." Calhoun gasped, then turned to see the last creature she expected to see. "You!"

"Turbo!" Felix realized. "What are you doing here? Where's Mary and Deanna?"

"Didn't that idiot over there tell you?" the Cy-Bug hybrid pointed a claw to Gene, who (for the first time) cringed in fear. "And as for what I'm doing here, let's just say I've been busy. With your codes, that is-namely yours."

"What?" Felix gasped. "You messed with..." Suddenly he felt that sharp pain in his head again. The handyman dropped to his knees.

"Fix-It!" Calhoun knelt down to him, then glared up at King Candy. "What's going on? What did you do to him?"

"I corrupted his code, that's all." The tyrant's tone was surprisingly casual. "Now he's becoming a virus." He cackled.

"That's not...I'm a good guy," said Felix, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"Not anymore. You're going to help me get revenge on that glitch and your halitosis-riddled friend, not to mention infect every game in the arcade, specifically this one, _Sugar Rush, _and _Hero's Duty_. Can't forget about those, can we?"

"You...can't...! You...won't...get...away...with...this!" Just as he was losing the last ounce of his control, he turned to his wife. "Tammy, warn Ralph and Vanellope! PLEASE!" Felix let out one last scream, then collapsed, blue eyes now empty.

"FELIX!" Calhoun was shaking her husband, trying to rouse him awake. "Felix, wake up! Snap out of it!"

"Don't waste your breath, honey. He's mine now." King Candy smiled darkly, knowing he had won. "Now wake up, my virus."

Suddenly, the handyman's sapphire eyes turned red. Rising to his feet, he regarded the Cy-Bug hybrid. The tyrant's plan was a success, but he had to make sure.

"Who is that, Felix?" Candy/Turbo pointed to Calhoun, who was hoping Felix would remember his own wife.

The handyman stared at Calhoun for what felt like an eternity.

"It's me, Fix-It!" the commando tried to jog some sort of memory into her husband. "It's me, Tammy! Your wife!"

Felix shook his head. "I don't know a Tammy. And I don't rightly recall marrying someone like you, no matter how...dynamite you are."

Calhoun froze. Those words felt like a slap in the face. She stared at the small man intently, no longer recognizing the Felix she'd married. They, however, were music to Candy's ears as he smiled with satisfaction. His plan had worked. The tyrant had corrupted Felix's code so much that the latter forgot everything, even his wife and friends. Now all he had to do was sway Felix to do his bidding.

"And who are you?" Felix asked, bloodshot gaze on the creature.

"Hoo hoo hoo, I'm a friend, Fix-It," Candy lied, "And that witch over there is your worst nightmare. She wants to kill you, Felix. And the two friends of hers are no different, neither are the little dwarves in this game. I can help you, Felix, and that witch is only going to get in our way." He gestured to Calhoun, who was at the end of her rope at how he was twisting the story to her husband.

"Fix-It, he's lying! That asshole is not your friend! He never was! He's using you!" Calhoun pulled out her rifle, then fired at King Candy/Turbo, who, along with Felix, easily avoided the bullets.

"See? She's trying to kill us! She, along with her two friends Wreck-It Ralph and Princess Vanellope. Not to mention she has plenty of soldiers from _Hero's Duty_." Candy then leaned down to Felix, whispering in his ear. "But you...you have a power no one else has. With it, you can take over any game you want. We can rule the arcade together."

"I understand." Felix nodded. "And _she_ won't get in our way." With that, he started to approach his wife, his now-bone white hammer raised toward her.

"Fix-It! Stop this right now!" Calhoun grabbed her husband's arm (the one with the hammer), but suddenly jerked away when she felt a burning pain sear through her hand. She looked down to notice a patch of skin darkening on the back. "What in the...?"

King Candy cackled. "It seems you've already gotten a taste of your husband's power. And it'll continue. Now the arcade will be easy once my little pet infects every game in it. But I'll be nice and save this one, _Hero's Duty, _and _Sugar Rush_ for last. I want those fools to live in as much fear as possible. To fear that they'll pay for ever humiliating me."

"You'd better fix my husband right now!" Calhoun started toward the Cy-Bug tyrant, rifle in hand, but then felt Candy's long tail knock her out cold.

"And we can't have you getting in our way, can we?"

"Felix..." the commando's vision was fading as the bane of the arcade flew off, her husband in his claws.

**Again, sorry this one took so long! These are one of the fics that I'd like to do my best on! And I need all the support I can get, so please review after you've read and let me know if I'm doing anything right or wrong. Constructive crit is highly encouraged as well as opinions and suggestions on how I should continue. So consider it after you've favorited and started to follow! Oh, and if there's any games (arcade or not) that you'd like to see in this story, I'm all ears! And updates'll probably be every weekend or every other weekend! So look forward to at least one chapter around that time. **

**And for those who are/were reading "A Sweet and Wreckin' Life," that one will be cancelled and some of the ideas for said fic (i.e.: aged-up Vanellope [not telling you how that will happen], the four OC witches, etc.) will be incorporated into this fic. And my OC's Lucia and Sonia will make an appearance here as well. Not trying to spoil anything here. Spoiling would be giving away the entire plot or what happens next in the author's note. I'm only explaining what characters I'm planning to use. In short, if you enjoyed any of my other fics, I'm sure you'll be enjoying this one too. **

**All that being said, look forward to the next chapter and please review! Stay sweet, everyone!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 3**

"What's going on?" Vanellope wondered. She and Ralph followed the two donut guards Wynnchel and Duncan to the vault that led to the codes.

"Sour Bill never came out of here," Duncan pointed out. "You _did_ send him to check on the codes, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Are you saying someone...locked him in?"

"That's the crazy part, princess," Wynnchel said. "We didn't see anyone besides Bill come in here."

"What?" Ralph blurted out. "You guys are... Aren't you two supposed to watch out for any trespassers?"

"Let's get Sour Bill out first," Vanellope started punching in the code. "He should know more about this than us."

"Princess!" the round piece of candy flew out to hug her. He looked panicked. "I thought I was going to be locked in there for good."

"What happened, Cough Drop?" Ralph asked. "How did you get...?"

"I saw some sort of shadow in the codes, so I went in to see what it was. But when I did, the next thing I knew was someone closed the vault behind me!"

"But that's funny," Duncan interjected, "No one came in here besides you. We didn't see anyone else come or leave."

"I'm tellin' you," Wynnchel added, "Whoever did this was real quiet about drawing attention to himself."

"And I hope they didn't mess with anything far as the codes," Ralph said.

"Vanellope! You're not gonna believe what's going on at GCS right now!"

"Taffyta! Candlehead!" the princess turned to regard her two closest friends. "You know you guys aren't allowed in here!"

"We know, we know! But we had to warn you about what's going on at the Station!" Candlehead was in hysterics.

"And it's not sweet, either," added Taffyta.

"What is it?" Ralph inquired.

"'You-know-who' is back! And he's starting to infect all the games!"

"With Fix-It!" added Candlehead.

"Felix?" The wrecker couldn't believe that part. Fix-It Felix? Teaming up with the bane of the arcade? That couldn't be true, unless Turbo found a way to get him to his side, which started with him going into the game to..."

_No!_ Ralph thought, _That means those headaches Felix had been having earlier...was Turbo messing with his codes!_

"We gotta go back to _Fix-It Felix Jr._!" the wrecker urged.

"That's right! Sarge doesn't know about this!" Vanellope agreed.

"She probably does. They went back together, remember?"

"Be careful, princess," Sour Bill watched Vanellope, Ralph, and the two racers head off. Ever since the first Turbo incident, Bill had been watching out for his princess. That was when he glanced back at the still-open code chamber, where a golden panel that he swore hadn't been there before was floating by itself in the void. _I wonder..._ Reentering the room, Bill moved in to take a closer look. _It can't be..._

"Bill?" Wynnchel called out to the little candy piece. "What is it? What are you doing? Come on, we gotta..."

"Just a minute!" Bill called back, examining the golden panel. He realized what it was. _An upgrade! But did King Candy leave it here?_ Then he looked up at Vanellope's panel in the middle of the connected panels and codes. Nodding, Bill carried the upgrade over to the princess's panel, connecting it.

_Whatever this upgrade is, princess, you're probably going to need it if you want to have a chance at King Candy. Assuming he was the one in here earlier. _Then he looked at the other racers' panels, glancing from Taffyta, Candlehead, Rancis, etc. That was when he remembered golden upgrades were universal and usually benefited all the characters.

"Sour Bill?" Duncan's voice was heard this time. "You coming?"

"Go on without me! I'll catch up later! I have some..."

"You know Princess Vanellope doesn't like anyone messing with anything in there!"

"Don't worry! This is helping! Just go and check on everyone else!"

"If you say so," Wynnchel sighed, leaving the room with Duncan.

When the two doughnut officers left, Sour Bill took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing. This is going to take a while, though." Panel (and wires) in hand, Bill set off to work, connecting the upgrade that could aid Vanellope and friends.

**I know this one was short, but things are gradually heating up from here! Read and review, everyone!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hi, everyone! Thanks to those who reviewed so far (who cares if it was just a couple)! I'm just having fun writing this fic, and I hope you all are having fun reading it! Anyway, here's the next chapter! Leave me reviews of your opinions and ideas if you have any! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 4**

"This is a nice place to start." King Candy and Felix were in _Skies of Arcadia_, taking in the sights of ships, rogue planes, etc. "Don't you agree, Felix?"

The handyman nodded. "It was next to _Fix-It Felix Jr.,_ anyway. Though I don't know what this game's about."

"Hey, who's that, Fina?"

_Looks like we found some fools already,_ the tyrant realized as he saw two girls approaching them, along with a boy wearing an eyepatch.

"I know who Fix-It Felix is," the other girl Fina said, glancing at the corrupted Good Guy. "But who's the ugly-looking bug dude?"

_These girls should know who King Candy is!_ Candy was a little annoyed. _I've been in _Skies of Arcadia_ several times while I was still ruling _Sugar Rush.

"Wait!" The boy stopped his friends before they approached Felix. "Something's not right with Fix-It."

"What're you talking about, Vyse?" Fina asked.

"How he's hanging with King Candy, for starters!" That was when the airman glared at the tyrant. "What the hell are you doing here, by the way? If you think you can turn me into a glitch and take over my game like you did _Sugar Rush _(and trust me, everyone's heard of that disaster), you got another thing coming!"

"He went to _Hero's Duty_ too, apparently," added Fina, looking the Cy-Bug hybrid up and down.

"Yeah. Eaten by a Cy-Bug, no doubt," agreed Aika, her friend.

"I've had enough of this!" Candy growled, impatient. "Fix-It. take care of these fools. I have codes to mess with."

"No, you don't!" Vyse jumped at the Cy-Bug hybrid, wrist swords at the ready. The airman slashed at Candy, but the latter grabbed him in his claws, strangling him.

"What a surprise, hoo hoo hoo. Maybe you can tell me where the code room is in this game. I could use another warrior on my team."

Vyse chuckled flatly at this. "Yeah, as if. I'm not telling you anything." Then he felt pressure applied to his body.

"Vyse!" Aika and Fina ran over to help their friend, but were blocked by Felix, who grabbed both of their throats.

"W-What's...happening?" Aika wondered as she felt weaker, her energy draining from her. Then her throat started to burn, and her chest was growing tighter.

"I...don't...know..." Fina said hoarsely.

"Leave them alone!" Vyse was squirming against King Candy's grip, but it was no use. "What is he doing to them?"

"Infecting them, pirate. And don't think I've forgotten about the many times you've robbed my kingdom, either. Consider this payback."

"You mean _Princess Vanellope's _kingdom!"

That comeback enraged Candy. He slammed the leader of the Blue Rogues to the ground, glaring down at him. The tyrant leaned down to Vyse's ear, glitching to his Turbo persona.

"That was _not_ the best thing you should've said just now," he hissed. "Felix! Don't forget about this one! Oh, and for the record, I don't need to get into your codes. I have something better in mind."

"And what's that?" Vyse spat, then he noticed several green lights coming from the game's exit. "No..." he gasped as he realized what the "lights" were.

"Oh yes, pirate." Candy sneered. "You didn't think we'd come alone, did you?"

"So I was right," Fina said hoarsely, bursting into a fit of coughs. "But how were you able to... I mean, all those soldiers there..."

"Were no match for me. But I _will _be back in _Hero's Duty_, I promised them that. They're living in fear right now, hoo hoo hoo. But that's nothing you all should worry about, especially when your game's going down."

"I don't feel so good," Aika wheezed.

"Guys..." Vyse then looked up to see the Felix virus standing over him, red eyes meeting brown, and eerily-white hammer in hand.

"Your fear is a nice thing," smirked the handyman, "But I can fix that."

...

"Oh, Ralph, there you are," Gene greeted, though slightly cynically. "Thought you'd never show up. Brought some squirts from _Sugar Rush_, I see."

"Look who's talking." Taffyta muttered.

"Where's Calhoun and Felix?" the "villain" asked.

"I'm afraid you just missed Felix," the mayor replied. "He went off with that Turbo we thought you killed. And as for the wife, well, let's just say she doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. She kicked me out, of course. And Mary and Deanna are locked up in the code room by that monster." Then Gene sighed, "It's times like this when I'm glad Litwak's on a two-week vacation. Otherwise, our game would've been pulled in the morning."

"Back up, what do you mean Sarge doesn't want to talk to us?" Vanellope interjected. "We're her friends!"

"She just lost her husband to that thing! She's angry right now (after waking up from a knockout), but if you want to go up there, go ahead. I'm leaving in case they come back to destroy this game." With that, Gene hopped on the small trolley to Game Central Station.

"Coward," Taffyta said under her breath when the Niceland mayor was gone. "Should we have told him it's not safe out there right now?"

"Ah, he'll find out," Vanellope assured her. "And then he'll be running back here. But Turbo was here already?"

"And flew off with Fix-It?" added Candlehead.

"But the way you said all that earlier sounded like he did something to him," Ralph said, then turned to the girls. "You three go up to Calhoun. I gotta check out the code room."

"Okay, Ralph," Vanellope nodded.

"I'll let you know what I find." The wrecker, along with the three racers, entered the apartment, with the former going down to the basement where the codes lied.

* * *

"Hope Sarge is okay," Vanellope said as she, Taffyta, and Candlehead went up to the penthouse, where Calhoun was on the balcony, staring upward. But as they got closer, they realized she had her rifle at the ready, obviously angry.

"I can't lose another husband," the commando said to herself, "I can't! That bastard! He's going to die once I find him!"

"Sarge?" But the three racers were met by flying bullets. "Sarge! It's me, Vanellope!"

"Runt?" Lowering her weapon. Calhoun slowly approached the three. "Don't tell me he's attacked _Sugar Rush_ already."

"He hasn't, well, he might've been in our codes today, but he hasn't attacked our game...yet," Candlehead explained. "We just came here to see if you were..."

"Does it look like I'm alright? My husband's been corrupted and kidnapped. Now they're out there infecting games, and I don't know which one they're in right now!"

"Wait, 'corrupted?'" Taffyta repeated.

"Turbo messed with Fix-It's code. Now he doesn't remember who I am or who you and Wreck-It are. Where _is_ Wreck-It, anyway?"

"He's checking out the codes to the game. He told us to wait until he found something."

"Well, I'm not. Not anymore. I've been sitting around here recovering from that bastard for at least a half-hour. And that was too long for me." Calhoun started off for the door.

"Wait! Sarge! You're not going out there, are you? Like you said, we don't know where Turbo and Fix-It are!"

"I don't care! I'm going to save my husband, with or without you. I've told you everything you wanted to know, anyway. Now get out of my way!"

"But Hammer Time wouldn't want this!" Vanellope moved between the door and the angry commando, determined to save the latter from making a huge mistake.

"Yeah, lady. He wouldn't want his wife getting killed by King Asshole or himself," agreed Taffyta.

"I don't want to lose you either," said Vanellope, hugging Calhoun, who seemed to calm down a little.

"Besides, we're sticking together on this," added Candlehead.

...

"Thank goodness, Ralph!" Mary stepped out of her cage in the code room, along with Deanna. "That scoundrel Turbo locked us up in here after he forced us to reveal this room. And look at this." The Nicelander pointed out to a lone panel in the void. The panel looked corrupted, and a dark aura was surrounding it.

"Felix..." Ralph recognized his best friend's code right away.

"Why would Turbo do this?" Deanna wondered. "And to Felix, no doubt!"

"To get revenge," The wrecker growled. _And he won't get it. Not if I have anything to say about it once we catch him! And he's not getting anywhere near Vanellope either!_

**As you can see, I'm trying to put some filler in between the action so the fic won't feel rushed. Anyway, updates for this will be every weekend, as I'm trying to take my time with each chapter so it'll turn out the way I want it to in the end, and also because I'm still working on my other two WIR fics.**

** As always, reviews, ideas, and opinions are always welcome, along with your support! Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 5

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 5**

"Ladies, shall we roughen these idiots up some more?" Vivian asked her sisters. The four witches were in _Street Fighter II_, pinning Ken and Ryu to a nearby tree . They didn't care about the fact that their game _Happy Haunting_ had gotten unplugged, but after they'd found out it was because of _this _game, they hadn't taken it well. And they took advantage of every day after arcade hours to play pranks on the two men, along with other characters of the game. Vivian and her witch sisters Sarah, Allyn, and Whitney were cackling at their handiwork.

"You can have the frog, Viv," said Allyn, the one in green. "I want the Ken guy. Wonder if I can deep-fry him." The youngest sister laughed at her wisecrack.

"What the hell?" Ken cursed, trying to squirm out of the witches' bonds. "Don't you witches know how bad it is out there?"

"Well, here's a news flash for you," Sarah, the blue-clad witch, got in the martial artist's face. "We don't care. All that matters to us is what spell we're gonna have for you today."

"Is this still about our game outshining yours? As the usual reason why you'd do something everyday?"

"Yeah," Whitney, the purple one, said. "Seeing as your shitty game here was the reason why ours was unplugged."

"You guys and your martial arts crap sure blew _Happy Haunting_ out of the water," Allyn agreed. "Still kinda pisses us off just thinking about it."

"Maybe the kids were growing too old for trick-or-treating," Ryu spat.

"Dude!" Ken hissed, urging his friend to keep his mouth shut.

"Hey, it could be true."

"You leave them alone, witches!"

"Who dares...?" Vivian turned to see a dark-haired young woman and a blonde approach.

"Them..." Sarah groaned.

"Finally..." Ryu sighed with relief. "Took Lucia and Sonia long enough."

"Don't worry, guys, we're here now," said the brunette, then turned to the witches,. "And as for you four, this is so the last prank you're gonna play!"

"Why do you pick on these fighters so much, anyway?" the blonde asked, somewhat annoyed. "I don't understand. You guys should be ashamed, especially when you four are doing this at the wrong time. There's a crisis going on in the arcade, and we don't need this."

"Right, Sonia. You and your girlfriend Lucia can take that to your graves." Vivian ignited a fireball in her hand, ready to hurl it at the brunette.

"Hoo hoo hoo, what have we here?"

"That voice..." the blonde named Lucia glanced up to see the owner of the familiar voice descend between them and the witches. _It can't be..._ she realized, noticing the face.

"And who's _this_ clown?" Ken wondered, then glanced at Felix next to the 17-foot-tall creature. "Even worse, why the hell is Fix-It hanging around this guy?"

"Something's strange about him, though," Ryu said.

"What are you doing here, Turbo?" the brunette named Sonia demanded, "And how did you come back?"

"How we meet again, dear Sonia," Turbo sneered at her.

"Didn't Wreck-It Ralph kill you?" Lucia asked.

"I'm getting that a lot today, hoo hoo hoo." The tyrant's attention was fixed on the blonde now. "And you're as beautiful as ever, I see, Lucinda. I should've dated both of you. Of course, only _one_ of you was lucky to end up in bed with me." Turbo's eyes fell on Sonia again.

"Don't _ever_ mention that night again!" The slayer hissed, charging at the Cy-Bug hybrid.

He shook his head in mock disappointment. "My love, no matter how much you try to forget our time in bed, it will always scar you." Turbo deflected Sonia's blow with his tail, yanking the staff out of her hands. "And you know, I could use a queen to rule the arcade alongside me. How about it, honey?" The virus moved closer to her, face-to-face with each other.

"Leave her alone!" Lucia stepped between them, angered and disgusted at the scene before her. "Sonia doesn't want to be with you anymore! Nor do I want her to! You disgust us! It's enough we have to deal with these four over here torturing Ken and Ryu on an everyday basis. We don't need a sadist like you on top of that! If you _ever_ lay so much as one claw on Sonia again, so help me, I'll..."

"You'll what, Lucy? Hoo hoo hoo, I'd love to see you try to kill me. Considering you can't!"

Lucia had to admit that he was right. She wasn't programmed with the power to kill, only to resurrect. She wasn't technically a witch like Vivian and her sisters, who were watching the scene with amazement.

"Ladies, we just made a discovery, didn't we?" the red witch said, surrounding Lucia with a smirk. Her sisters followed.

"Yep, we did," Allyn agreed, "And thanks to King Candy, no doubt. And that gives us an idea."

"Lucia!" Sonia shouted.

"Oh shut up! You already have your boyfriend to deal with!" Sarah cackled, pointing to the mutated Turbo. Then she noticed Ken and Ryu breaking free of their bonds. "Our men are getting away!"

"No, they're not!" Whitney jumped in front of the two fighters, chuckling. "You sly dogs, caught us in the middle of a moment there, huh? And we can care less about those Chun-Li and Sakura chicks. We don't need them, anyway!"

"At least they're safe," Ryu said.

"But you won't."

"Let me take care of those two."

Whitney turned to notice the corrupt Felix approaching them, smirking.

"And what are _you_ going to do?"

"Yeah," Ken agreed, "Wha...ugh!"

The handyman grabbed Ken and Ryu by their throats.

"What the...?" Whitney was watching as the two were losing all color and growing weaker. "I didn't know Fix-It..."

"And you all will be joining them." Turbo cut her off, pleased at the job done by his pet.

"But wait, maybe there's a way we can help you guys," Vivian pleaded, "We can..."

"Not interested. Felix, take care of these witches too, after you're done with those fools. Not to mention _this_ one." The tyrant nodded to Lucia, then his eyes fell on Sonia. "I have something else planned for you, hoo hoo hoo."

"No!" Lucia started toward Turbo, but was blocked by a Cy-Bug.

"And your friend won't be interfering this time." With that, the tyrant flew off, Sonia in his claws.

"Lucia!" the slayer screamed.

"SONIA!" Lucia grabbed her friend's staff, tears in her eyes as they flew off.

"Blondie! We need your help here!" Allyn urged, fighting with swarming Cy-Bugs and the Felix virus. "This idiot means business."

But Lucia's eyes were on the darkening sky. She'd just lost her best friend. Who knew what Turbo was going to do to her? She couldn't bear to think about it. The necromancer had to save her. But then her eyes fell on the infected Ken and Ryu.

_Those two need help first, though. Don't worry, Sonia, I'll find a way to save you._

...

"What's going on?" Ralph, Vanellope, and the others exited _Fix-It Felix, Jr._ to see a crowd of fighters pushing and shoving their way out of _Street Fighter II_, with a blonde and two witches escorting them out of the port toward _Super Mario Bros._.

"What in the world?" Deanna wondered. "And isn't that Lucia from _Spirits of Darkness_? One of the games that got unplugged?"

"Turbo and your little friend Felix happened," the blonde and the two witches were the last ones to go, carrying a sick Ryu, Ken, and two other witches.

"They, along with those nasty Cy-Bugs from _Hero's Duty_." one of the sick witches added.

"What happened to those four?" asked Vanellope.

"They got infected," said Lucia. "Felix doesn't usually have that power, I thought."

"He doesn't," Ralph muttered, "Turbo corrupted him."

"Really? You're kidding!"

"I'm afraid not, dear." Mary shook her head.

"But what about you?" Calhoun asked, "Where's Sonia?"

"Yeah, you and Sonny are usually together," added Vanellope.

Lucia looked down at the floor, scared to answer. Every time someone mentioned her best friend, it reminded her of what had just happened. She sighed.

"King Candy snatched her up," Allyn, one of the sick witches, spoke up. The green-clad witch burst into a fit of coughs.

"Al!" Whitney, one of the healthy ones, hissed. "You know how shaken up Lucy is right now!"

"No, it's all right." Lucia interjected. "They should know, because they might be the only ones who can stop Turbo. But...how he took her away from me again. It..." The necromancer was at the point of tears. "I can't think about it right now. We need to get everyone to _Super Mario Bros._ now! Then I can think of a plan there."

"And they're not the only ones who've been infected by Fix-It," said Sarah, the other healthy witch. "Dr. Mario's been pretty busy today. Had his hands full with patients. And unless you're planning on going in there, we could sure use your help."

"Actually, we _need_ to go in there," Calhoun countered. "Assuming they're still in there."

"It's too dangerous in there right now," Lucia warned. "_Street Fighter_'s crawling with those bugs right now."

"She's right, you know?" Ryu jumped in, coughing. "What if Fix-It's still in there waiting to make your asses sick? He's already infected the game."

"Yeah, it's dangerous in there right now," agreed Ken.

"My _husband's_ in there!" Calhoun was starting to grow impatient.

"Look, Sarge, we understand," Vanellope said, "But if we go in there right now after them, we'll probably get infected or even die! And Hammer Time wouldn't want that."

Calhoun sighed, knowing the princess was right. Felix _wouldn't_ want her to risk her life, especially without a plan. Reluctantly, she had to agree.

"Okay, but we're coming up with a plan in _Mario Bros._ No fooling around."

Everyone nodded in agreement as the group followed Lucia toward the Nintendo game.

...

**Read and Review! Ideas and crit are always welcome too!**


	7. Chapter 6

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph! Or the characters in this chapter!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 6**

"Run, everyone!" Sonic urged, "Get to Game Central Station!" The blue hedgehog, along with Tails and Amy, were running through the Green Hill Zone, fleeing the sudden onslaught of Cy-Bugs that were swarming the game environment.

"Move your asses, fools!" Eggman was pushing through the crowd in his Egg Hovercraft, running over several panicking characters on the way.

"Jerk!" the doctor heard, along with "That ass thinks he's the only one that matters here!"

"Yes, yes, run, little creatures! Hoo hoo hoo!"

_I recognize that annoying laugh!_ Shadow stopped upon hearing the familiar voice. "It can't be..." The black hedgehog looked up to notice the last character he expected to see as the bane of the arcade was hovering over a nearby tree branch, with Fix-It Felix at his side.

"Isn't that Fix-It Felix Jr.?" Rouge pointed out. "What's he doing with that snake-in-the-grass?"

"You all seem surprised," King Candy sneered, looking down at the still-fleeing mob of _Sonic_ residents. "Or is that fear I smell?" The tyrant cackled.

"You wish!" Knuckles swooped down from a branch, fists clenched and ready to land a blow on the psychotic racer/Cy-Bug.

"Felix, take care of this porcupine."

"What?" the echidna noticed Felix glitch right between him and Candy, crimson eyes staring into purple. "What the hell?"

The handyman snickered, catching Knuckles by the throat.

"Knuckles!" Sonic turned around to notice his rival in the clutches of Felix. "Fix-It?" The blue hedgehog ran back over to help.

"Sonic!" Tails cried, pushing through the crowd of frantic residents.

"Get out of here! It's not safe, Tails!" Approaching the fight, Sonic was confused. "Fix-It! What are you doing, pal?" Suddenly he felt a force whip against him, knocking him into a nearby tree. He shook it off, then found himself face-to-face with King Candy.

"Trying to save your little friend? Well, think again!" The tyrant scooped Sonic up in his claws. "Why not watch the red porcupine suffer instead?" He lifted Sonic's head upward, forcing the hedgehog to watch as Knuckles' strength was being drained out of him. Shadow and Rouge were pinned down in a tangle with endless Cy-Bugs.

"S-Sonic..." Knuckles felt his voice slip away from him as Felix released him. Then the handyman's eyes were on Sonic. The Sega Good Guy felt a chill down his spine as he was staring into crimson eyes.

"Not this one, Felix." King Candy/Turbo held Sonic closer, claws squeezing into the hedgehog's skin, drawing blood. "I want to kill this one myself (not in this game, though)." Then his black eyes fell on the struggling Shadow and Rouge. "But those two you can have."

"Fix-It! What are you doing?" Sonic called out desperately.

"He can't hear you, rodent. Besides, why don't you worry about yourself? Especially when you won't be around much longer." The tyrant wrapped his claws around Sonic's neck, until he was unable to breathe.

The last thing Sonic heard was a faint cry (presumably from Tails) as his world went black.

**Sorry this one's short, and kind of steers away from the plot a little, but it's just filler to lead into the next chapter. Review if you want on this chapter! **


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone! Welcome to the next chapter!**

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph! **

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 7**

"This is serious," Dr. Mario determined. He had been swamped with patients in _Super Mario Bros._ after being told of what's been going on. He was just finishing examining Vyse from _Skies of Arcadia_, who had been the only one to have survived his game's destruction. "Everyone I've seen today had the same illness."

"So what is it?" the pirate asked hoarsely.

"It's an epidemic, apparently."

"Yeah, an epidemic caused by Fix-It Felix." Vyse hissed the name with disgust. "Why would he do this, especially teaming up with a psycho bug thing who screwed up my game and killed Aika and Fina."

"Felix?" Mario repeated.

"Yeah, he touched me with his hammer, and now I'm getting sick. I'm telling you, something hasn't been right with this guy."

"That happened to me too!" Ken interjected, voice equally raspy and a little quiet. "That guy was crazy!"

"There's no cure for this right now, uinfortunately," Dr. Mario said, "It's practically a virus that spreads throughout the victim's body, but it doesn't seem life-threatening so far."

"That's good to hear," Ryu gave a sigh of relief.

"At least he hasn't gotten to us," said Lucia, "And Turbo...ugh! I'm still wondering how he came back to life. And where he's taking Sonia."

"Your guess is as good as mine, lady," Taffyta agreed, "And he took your friend too?"

Lucia nodded.

"Mario, you got more patients!" Princess Peach's voice was heard.

"Bring 'em in," the plumber/doctor instructed.

"Help us out here, Doc," Knuckles stumbled in, followed by an infected Rouge, who was being supported by Shadow (who was the only healthy one of the three).

"What happened?"

"Same as us," Vyse cut in.

"Looks like it," agreed Ken.

"That Turbo attacked our game," Shadow explained. "Fix-It Felix Jr. infected him."

"I'm still wondering how the hell he can do that," Knuckles said, "I thought all Felix could do was fix and heal."

"Turbo corrupted his code," Ralph said. He just entered the room with Candlehead, Calhoun, and Vanellope.

"You know something we don't, Wreck-It?" Vyse asked.

"We know he's using Felix to infect the games in the arcade. And everyone in it."

"And he paid a visit to my game, apparently," Calhoun added.

"We'd say so," Ryu interjected, "Judging from all those asshole bugs poisoning everything. But how did they get through your men, Sarge?"

"I was getting ready to ask the same question," Vanellope said. "Don't Markowski and the other guys keep that from happening? Unless..."

"But can't die in their own game," Ralph spoke up. "So how...?"

"No, I mean Turbo must've reprogrammed _Hero's Duty_ the same way he did _Fix-It Felix Jr._ and now Markowski and the others are serving _him_. It's just a guess. Either that or they're imprisoned while the Cy-Bugs are free to roam the arcade. Either way, the Cy-Bugs, Turbo, and Felix are out there causing a heck of lot of destruction out there."

"And it won't be long until they eventually hit _this_ game," said Vyse. "Which means we need to be ready."

"And 'we' doesn't include you, no matter how...cute you are," Taffyta was eyeing the air pirate, checking him out. _If only I were older, and he weren't sick, I'd date him. But we're in the middle of hell right now. Focus, Taffyta!_ Then she glanced at the fighters. "And you guys are staying in the sickrooms too."

"I think we all need to rest to keep up our strength," Calhoun suggested, "We need to be prepared for that asshole with a clear mind."

"Sarge is right," agreed Candlehead, "I'm getting a little wiped out myself, anyway. Hopefully he won't find and attack us tonight."

"Don't worry," Ralph assured the racer. "We'll have shifts in case he does. We'll have a few people awake and on the lookout for a few hours, and then switch. I'll take the first shift with Calhoun and Shadow."

"And then the witches and I," Lucia said.

"And we should take the last shift," Vanellope jumped in, "Taffyta, Candlehead, and I'll right after you."

"No way, kid," Ralph shook his head, "Turbo's after you, especially, Vanellope, so it's best that you stay clear of him."

"He's after you too, Stinkbrain," the princess countered.

"But I can defend myself better than you, Vanellope. Look, stay hidden. Get some rest. Please. Sarge, Lucia, and everyone else can handle it."

"But, Ralph..."

"I care about you, Vanellope. I don't want to lose you like I almost did last time. We might need you later, but for now, just get some sleep."

Vanellope sighed at this. In a way, Ralph was right. She couldn't really defend herself with her glitching ability. And also, he did care about her. And she understood that quite well. _If only I had some sort of power... then maybe I'd be useful. But for now, I have to hide behind Stinkbrain and watch them do the fighting._ The princess sighed again, knowing such a thing would never happen. But she couldn't help but imagine what would happen if something like that actually were to happen to her.

**Read and Review! More to come soon!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Thank you for the reviews and the ideas so far, guys! Someone gave me suggestions on characters to put in the fic, and rest assured, they will be in a later chapter! **

**In any case, enjoy this chapter!**

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph! **

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 8**

"They've been out there way too long!" Rancis complained as he was lying in his small room at his peanut butter cup-made house, staring out the window at the sweet-covered land of _Sugar Rush_. He had been worried for his friends all day. Taffyta, Candlehead, and Vanellope. They were out there, yet he couldn't do anything to help them (on Wynnchel and Duncan's orders). Rancis felt useless. Useless that he was not one of the best (he'd never won a race), and that he was stuck here until further notice. Gloyd, Snowanna, Swizzle, and the rest of the racers kept assuring him everything was going to be fine. That Vanellope and the others were going to be back. But some part of him felt like he lost them this time. As sleep was starting to take over him, Rancis couldn't help but wish he could do something.

_If only there was something, anything I could do to help them! I can't stand sitting in the sidelines!_

...

"Finally," Sour Bill had just connected the last wire of the upgrade to the last racer. "Now how is this going to work? What's going to happen?" Suddenly, light emanated from the panel, blinding Sour Bill as he fled the code room, slamming the vault in fear. _That was...strange.__ What kind of upgrade is that? It must be real powerful._

"Are you okay, Bill?" Wynnchel asked, coming in with Duncan.

"You sure been in there for hours." Duncan said, "What have you been doing?"

"Funny you should ask that," Sour Bill took one last look at the vault before following the two donut guards out.

_Whatever that upgrade is, Princess, it should help you. Looked pretty rare too._

**I know it's short, but you may guess what might happen next. The next few chapters will be leading up to the action later on, so bear with me! Hope you're looking forward to it! **

**In the meantime, read, follow, favorite, and review!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wreck-It Ralph or the other game characters except for Sonia, Lucia, and another OC who'll be in a later chapter.**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 9**

Vanellope woke up with a yawn the next morning. She, Taffyta, and Candlehead were in one of the guest rooms of Princess Peach's castle, escaping from the danger that was happening in Game Central Station right now. She got out of bed, being careful not to disrupt her two friends on either side of her. Then the princess stopped when her eyes fell on the mirror, where she noticed her reflection wasn't the same. Her hair was longer, though still littered with candy. She was taller with the same clothing, and then she brought her hands down to her chest, where she felt two large mounds. "Sweet mother of monkey milk..." the princess whispered as she felt them with interest. Then she noticed her voice had changed, becoming more...mature. _I'm a...woman?_ Vanellope stared at her reflection in the mirror with interest. She was older, and beautiful. That was when she glanced back at Taffyta and Candlehead, who were also aged up. Taffyta's platinum blonde hair was longer and down to her waist. She had a curvy figure herself too. Candlehead, on the other hand, had somewhat of a plain, average figure, but was pretty nonetheless, with longer pigtails and the candle still lit on the top of her head.

_How did we end up like this?_ Vanellope wondered. _I mean, I was never told of any upgrades back in _Sugar Rush_. Maybe Sour Bill knows about this, which means going back there. Not a good idea to tell Taffyta and Candlehead yet. Besides, they'll find out when they wake up. I'll let them sleep._

...

"Hoo hoo hoo, those _Pac-Man_ fools were weaker than I anticipated," King Candy cackled, flying out of the _Pac-Man_ port. He and Felix had taken over the maze game, with the latter infecting every character in the game, time to the point of them dying almost instantly. It was a sign that the corrupt Good Guy was growing stronger. Stronger even than Candy, probably, who was dealing with a struggling Sonia.

"You're insane, you know that?" the slayer spat. "And you know you're not going to get away with this!"

"That warthog can try to stop us if he dares. He surely won't get past Fix-It, though. Seeing as he gets more and more powerful with each victim he infects. Those ghastly idiots from _Pac-Man_ didn't put up much of a fight."

"And they were pretty weak too," added Felix, then noticed blue code streaking from _Super Mario Bros. _to _Sugar Rush_. _The glitch_, he realized. _She must be going to her game to warn the other racers. But for some reason, there was something...different about her._

"What are you looking at, my virus?"

"The glitch. She went into _Sugar Rush_, probably to warn her friends."

_Vanellope!_ Sonia realized as she felt Candy's hold on her loosen a little, but she wasn't going to try to break free, knowing the tyrant was just going to strengthen his hold on her. Especially when she'd lost her staff back in _Street Fighter II_. Otherwise, King Candy/Turbo would've been bleeding code on the floors in GCS. And she saw Vanellope's changed form on the latter's way into the racing game, Sonia just didn't want to give her captors any indication. The princess looked...older, around her and Lucia's age. She was beautiful too.

"Where do you think you're going?" Candy asked Felix as the corrupt handyman started for _Sugar Rush_ after Vanellope.

"Going after that glitch."

"We were headed for _Super Mario Bros._ next!" The tyrant pointed a claw at the _Mario Bros._ port. "Besides, they'll be expecting us in _Sugar Rush_!"

"But didn't you want that glitch dead?"

"Yes, but you, Felix, are probably not strong enough yet to take her."

"What? She's a kid!" Felix snapped.

"Not anymore..." Candy said, remembering the woman entering _Sugar Rush_ was most definitely Vanellope. The candy-littered hair, hoodie, and especially the glitching were unmistakable. Then he remembered the golden panel that he had seen floating in code room, which he hadn't paid much mind, but now that he'd seen grown-up Vanellope, he knew exactly what it was. _An upgrade_._ Damn that Sour Bill! And she probably wasn't the only one affected, which means we can't underestimate anyone from _Sugar Rush!

_Damn!_ Sonia swore silently, _He knows. _Then she glanced up to see that Felix had already entered the sugary racing game.

_Vanellope, you'd better be careful. Watch your back._

"Hoo hoo hoo, you know what? I don't need him for _Super Mario Bros._" King Candy chuckled darkly. "I can take over it with or without a virus. Besides, I have another weapon on my side." The Cy-Bug hybrid glanced down at Sonia, who shook her head in fear.

"Don't shake your head at me. You _will_ do exactly as I say if you want to keep breathing. If you refuse, well, hoo hoo hoo, I'll make sure you suffer. And I'll make it as painful as possible." For a second, King Candy glitched into Turbo, yellow eyes skewering into Sonia's green ones.

For the first time in a while, Sonia was scared of the evil racer, who, of course, used to be her boyfriend. She glanced around the dim Game Central Station, which was swarming with Cy-Bugs. They were headed for _Super Mario Bros._ as well, but were suddenly bounced back by some sort of barrier blocking the port. She was confused for a second, but then she realized it must have been Lucia and the witches' doing. King Candy noticed it too and scowled.

"Looks like you're not getting in." The slayer smirked up at the tyrant, who returned with one of his own.

"Yes we are, dear," he countered, "With your help. You know a little magic too from all the days where we actually had games. Trust me, I remember you and Lucia learning new tricks and spells together (That blonde disgusts me, by the way). Now get ready!"

_Crap!_ Sonia thought, realizing Candy had her number at every turn. And now it was working to his advantage. _He's smart. _Too _smart._

**Hope you enjoyed! And again, thanks for the reviews. Glad you guys love it so far! Next chapter coming next weekend! Stay sweet, everyone! **

**Reviews, ideas, suggestions, and crit are welcome and encouraged!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the reviews I've gotten last chapter! Really appreciate it! Not much to say here, except welcome to the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wreck-It Ralph!  
**

**Rise of the Viral Empire  
**

**Chapter 10  
**

"Sour Bill!" Vanellope burst into the castle, in search of her tiny, sour advisor.

"Vanellope?"

The princess turned to notice Rancis, along with the other racers, behind her. They, like Vanellope, had matured. She took a double take at Rancis, who was now muscular and more handsome than was as a kid. His blonde bangs were now covering one eye. Apparently they were here wondering the same thing.

"What happened to us?" Jubileena Bing-Bing wondered.

"I was going to ask the same thing," agreed Snowanna Rainbeau, "Did we get some sort of upgrade or something?

"Princess, you're back."

"Sour Bill!" Vanellope regarded her advisor coming into the throne room. He had the same shocked look as the racers.

"So this must be the result of the upgrade," he realized as he eyed the matured racers, specifically Vanellope.

"What upgrade?"

"I'll show you."

Bill led Vanellope and the others into the code room, where the princess punched in the code and opened the vault. What she saw awed her and her fellow racers.  
In the middle of the codes floated a golden panel connected to hers as well as the other racers'. It glowed like a beacon, making it stand out from the other codes.

"Where did it come from?" Vanellope asked Sour Bill.

"I don't know. It was floating by itself. To put it simply, it was just...there. But one thing I did know about it: it's a universal upgrade."

"Meaning?" Rancis inquired.

"Meaning it affects all the characters, not just one."

"So that's why we're all, like, nineteen now?" Adorabeezle realized, then she was suddenly excited. "Whoa, this is...I mean, I think I'm gonna like being a woman. This is so cool!" Suddenly a flurry of ice hit a nearby wall next to Gloyd.

"Watch it, will ya?" The pumpkin racer snapped, then froze as a pumpkin-shaped shield surrounded him. "What the...?"

"Huh." Vanellope watched them. "Looks like the upgrade did more than make us all adults."

"Strange..." Sour Bill was just as confused.

"Okay, that's crazy," Adorabeezle said. "Did I just blow ice from my hands?"

"And what was that pumpkin that was around me a second ago?" Gloyd added.

"Ooooh, let me see if I have a..." Suddenly Jubileena exploded.

"Jubileena!" Snowanna shrieked, then breathed a sigh of relief when the racer regenerated.

"What _was_ that?"

"Let us know when you're gonna do that next time, okay?" Swizzle blurted out, his little outburst causing a mini tornado to appear.

"Guys!" Vanellope stepped in, but suddenly finding herself throwing blue energy balls from either hand. _Okay, whoa_. The princess looked down at them, not believing it. _So the upgrade gave us...special powers?__ Talk about freaky._

"This is two kinds of crazy," Snowanna spoke up.

"You said it, Snow," Minty Zaki agreed, then turned around to see that the rainbow sherbet racer wasn't there. "Snow? Where are...?" Her jaw dropped when she saw Snowanna appear before her. "Whoa! Did you just disappear?"

"More like camouflage," Jubileena pointed out, "Or is it invisibility? And why am I blowing up all over the place?"

"Guys! Everyone!" Vanellope got everyone's attention. "I think the upgrade gave us powers along with the age-up."

"Uh, that's kinda obvious, Vanellope," Rancis was leaning on a wall...until it gave way under his weight. "Wh..." Quickly backing away, he looked at what he had done. "What the...?"

"That wall was probably weak anyway, Rancis," said Crumbelina.

"No, they're pretty strong." Gloyd punched it. Not a crack formed.

"Yeah, it's probably just Rancis..." agreed Snowanna, "And his _superstrength_."

"I have...?" the peanut butter cup racer grabbed a nearby bar, then realized he could crush it just like breaking a toothpick.

"Huh," Crumbelina approached the large hole in the wall, feeling the sides. "Looks like these are..." The caramel racer froze mid-sentence as a caramel stream came from her hands, covering the hole and sealing it up. "Oh!" Pulling her hand away, she noticed what had just happened. "Did I...?"

"That's so cool, Crumbs!" Minty gasped.

"I don't know what I..."

"You fixed the wall with caramel! You can use caramel as a weapon too, I bet. Show us!"

"Guys, I think we need to take this out of here before we destroy anything else in here," Vanellope suggested.

"Sounds good to me!" Minty agreed as she was gone in a flash, which caused raised eyebrows.

"Superspeed," Rancis and Gloyd said in unison, trying to register Minty Zaki's speedy departure.

Suddenly her scream was heard.

"That was Minty!" Vanellope realized as she and the others hurried out of the throne room.

"Minty! Are you...?" Rancis asked, then froze when he noticed her paralyzed, looking into the crimson eyes of Fix-It Felix.

"Felix..." Vanellope said.

"Hello to you too, glitch." the corrupt handyman sneered, then did a double take at the princess's body. "And as...dynamite as ever, I see."

_"Dynamite,"_ Vanellope thought. _He called me dynamite? He always calls Sarge a dynamite gal. Does that mean he remembers himself?_

Then Felix glanced at the rest of the racers. "Looks like the glitch isn't the only one who's all grown up. This should be interesting then, considering I've gotten stronger too." The Good Guy conjured up a red energy sphere, chuckling.

_Sweet mother of monkey milk!_ Vanellope's eyes widened at the handyman's new power. _He sure means business, doesn't he? In that case, I do too. Time to put these new powers to work!_

**Read and Review!**


	12. Chapter 11

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 11**

"Vanellope?" Ralph called throughout Princess Peach's castle. He'd been looking for princess all over the castle grounds too, with a matured Taffyta and Candlehead by his side.

"Where could she be?" Taffyta wondered, "Maybe she could tell us how we're...well...women." She was toting an enormous lollipop, which was taller than herself. "And where this came from." The pink-clad racer held it up, being careful not to hit Ralph or Candlehead.

"You got me," Candlehead agreed, tiny flames lighting up on her fingertips. "I can't make these go out for some reason."

"Just don't burn anybody, okay?" Ralph warned, keeping his distance from the girls, "You burned me twice already."

"Wow, Wreck-It's scared of fire," Taffyta smirked.

"I'm not, it's just..."

"Right. Candlehead? Target practice?"

"There you are, Ralph!"

The wrecker and the two girls noticed Sonia entering from the port. The slayer's attention was on the latter when she approached.

"Upgrade?" she inquired.

"Don't know, which is why we're looking for Vanellope," Candlehead replied.

"That's what I came to tell you. And hopefully, _he's_ not listening."

"Wait, Turbo's here?" Ralph asked, scowling.

"No, but he and his Cy-Bug swarm are coming!"

"How? Didn't Lucy and those witches put up a barrier to keep 'em out?" Taffyta was confused.

"Turbo forced me to cast an undo spell. Otherwise, he would've went after Vanellope first, considering he knows how much you care about her, Ralph."

The "villain" registered everything Sonia said so far. True, he did care about Vanellope, but from how she was explaining it, it sounded as if he was...no, he couldn't think about that right now. There'd be plenty of time for that later. He had to know where she was.

"So where _is_ Vanellope?" Candlehead asked.

"I saw her glitch into _Sugar Rush_," Sonia replied, "And Fix-It was not far behind."

_Felix_... Ralph realized. He could not see his best friend as cruel enough to kill Vanellope, or anyone for that matter. But going back to how Turbo screwed up the Good Guy's code, Felix _was_ cruel enough. And he wouldn't leave the game until the princess was nothing but code.

"What do you mean Fix-It's after Vanellope?" Taffyta inquired.

"Turbo sent, I mean, Felix _went_ after her, and might even kill her if she's not careful." Then Sonia noticed the aged-up looks. "But if she's upgraded like you two..."

"Sonia dear, that wasn't part of the deal, now was it?"

"It's him..." Taffyta hissed, holding her human-sized lollipop at a ready position. _Let's see what this thing can do._ Candlehead, Sonia, and Ralph braced themselves as the creature of their nightmares entered _Super Mario Bros._, laughing maniacally.

"You were only supposed to be the bait, dear," King Candy made a _tsk_ sound to her. "But I'll forgive you, since you led me straight to Ralph." The Cy-Bug tyrant's onyx eyes were on the wrecker. "Yes, Wreck-It Ralph, I have quite a score to settle with you and that glitch. Of course, I have your Fix-It friend taking care of her, hoo hoo hoo."

_Felix..._ Ralph thought, worried about what the handyman was going to do to Vanellope. And he didn't want to think about it. But just by looking up at the nightmare before him, Ralph knew he'd have to get through Candy first.

And that was easier said than done.

...

"Something's going on outside." Vyse slowly sat up, still ill from Felix's touch. He'd been lying in one of the many guest rooms with the other victims (on Dr. Mario's orders).

"Stay down, soldier," Calhoun commanded as she would her men in _Hero's Duty_. She'd been put in charge of the infected characters.

"But..."

"That's an order! You're still out of it! And be lucky I haven't gunned you down yet for trying to steal my husband's hammer last week!"

Vyse hissed a curse under his breath. "I thought you forgot all about that."

"Sarge!" Lucia burst into the room.

"What is it?" Calhoun asked.

"Turbo! He's here, with some pesky bugs to boot! Sarah, Whitney, and I are trying to ward them out of the castle, and Taffyta's spreading the word throughout! Get the infected out of here now!"

"Right!" The _Hero's Duty _lead then regarded Vyse. "We're getting out of here, pirate. You and the other ladies."

But then a Cy-Bug broke into the sickroom, having broken through the wards. Dozens were swarming in right behind it.

"Damn... Lucinda, get behind me!"

The necromancer complied, watching as Tamora started to fire at the pestering viruses. Sarah and Whitney hurried into the room a few seconds later, drained but trying to stay strong.

"Our wards don't work with just two of us!" Whitney said.

"Not to protect an entire castle!" added Sarah, then looked back at Vivian and Allyn, who had just woken up but still sick.

"C'mon, Viv!" Allyn moved to her sisters' side, along with the red witch. "We gotta help!"

"No, you two!" Calhoun ordered, "You're too vulnerable!"

"We can protect you!" Vivian countered. "We may not be strong enough to protect a whole castle, but we can shield this room!"

"You go ahead, Calhoun!" Lucia urged. "Go and find your husband! We can guard the sick!"

Calhoun started to leave, but not before handing the necromancer a pistol.

"What...?"

"Take it. Trust me, you're going to need it."

"Okay, good luck." Lucia nodded as the commando forged on into the onslaught.

...

"These nasty things won't quit!" Taffyta grumbled, thrusting her lollipop lance into a Cy-Bug and felling it. She, the Mario Bros., Bowser, and several Piantas were trying to defend the code room.

"You said it!" Bowser agreed, torching three Cy-Bugs. "I swear if that Turbo-zo takes over this game, I'm outta a job!"

"We're all going to be out of a job!" Luigi reminded. He and Mario joined hands, creating a firewall of red and green that burned away an entire score of viruses.

"No!" Mario cried as one flew past them and into the codes of the game.

"Don't worry! I got him!" Taffyta hurled her lollipop at Cy-Bug, killing it instantly.

"Not bad for a pipsqueak," Bowser slowly applauded.

"Hey, I'm a woman now."

"Mamma mia!" the two bros. gasped in unison.

"What..?" Then Taffyta and Bowser found themselves looking in the faces of yet another scene of Cy-Bugs.

"Damn..." the pink-clad racer cursed.

"No foolin', kid," agreed Bowser, "That bastard."

...

Back outside the castle, Ralph and Candlehead were toe-to-toe with King Candy/Turbo, the latter gaining the upper hand as he had Ralph pinned and Candlehead wrapped in his tail.

"This is too easy," the tyrant sneered, staring the wrecker down. "I thought you'd be stronger than this. Considering how you humiliated me last time, I think your death should be as painful as possible. As for the brat..." He looked back at a struggling Candlehead, who was desperately trying to get her flames to work. "...she won't feel a thing." With that, Candy tossed the racer into a ring of Cy-Bugs.

"Kid!" Ralph tried to get up to save the racer, but the Cy-Bug hybrid strengthened his hold on him. The wrecker was trapped in a cage of claws.

"You should worry about yourself for a change instead of that brat. Especially when you won't be around much longer. But before I put an end to you, I'll let you have one last look at your friends as they suffer." Candy turned Ralph so that he was watching as the entire Mushroom Kingdom (and its residents) were suffering at the hands of the seemingly endless Cy-Bugs.

Suddenly bullets flew out of the castle doors.

"What have you done to my husband, virus?"

"Calhoun!" Ralph was relieved.

"Sarge!" Candlehead turned to see the commando coming out of the castle, Toads (brandishing their own mushroom weapons) and Donkey Kong behind her. The ape jumped to Candlehead's side, punching out the Cy-Bugs surrounding her.

But he was outnumbered quickly. Candlehead started to panic, but then she focused. She needed to get her powers going.

_Come on, light 'em up!__ That monkey's getting ambushed! Light 'em up! Focus..._

DK looked up to see the Cy-Bugs surrounding him burst into flames.

"So little Candlehead can light bonfires," Candy realized.

"That's not the only thing that's going to happen if you don't tell me where my husband is!" Calhoun pointed her rifle at the virus. "And release Wreck-It!" The Toads, DK, and Candlehead stood by her, ready.

"Hoo hoo hoo, your Fix-It's dealing with a certain glitch as we speak, and Wreck-It Ralph will soon join her!" The tyrant strengthened his grip on Ralph.

"No...I won't..." the wrecker struggled to break free, but it was no use.

"Wreck-It!" Calhoun started to fire, and Candlehead lit up her fists, but froze when they saw a Cy-Bug hovering above Ralph, a hungry look in its green eys.

"I wouldn't shoot or burn anything if I were you." Candy waggled a claw. "Not if you don't want anything to happen to Ralph. But it wouldn't matter anyway, as I'll still have his life either way, just a little bit sooner if you choose to come at me. Now, drop the weapons and the flames."

"This is between you and me, Turbo!" Ralph reminded, "Leave them out of this!"

"And what will you do? Considering you're in no position to do anything."

"If anything happens to Vanellope..."

"You'll do what? Kill your own partner?"

Ralph knew that was coming. And Turbo was right. He couldn't kill Felix. The handyman was his best friend. He cared about him just as much as Vanellope. But looking up at his enemy, he knew Turbo would enjoy every minute of the wrecker fighting (and trying to reason with) Felix.

...

"I would have thought the upgrade would make you stronger than this, glitch." Felix was looking down on the struggling Vanellope, who responded with a glare. She and Rancis were the last ones able to fight, with the other racers down. The handyman was obviously stronger than he looked.

"You have no idea," the princess slowly rose to her feet.

"It's gonna take a lot more than little red energy balls to keep me down," Rancis shot Felix a cocky smirk, then charged at him.

"Rancis, no!" Vanellope cried as she was that Felix glitched away...and right behind her! The princess spun around to regard him.

"Looks like you're not as quick as you are strong." The corrupt Good Guy grabbed Vanellope. "And now I'm taking your princess!"

"Rancis!" Vanellope screamed as Felix glitched away with her.

"Vanellope!" Rancis fell to his knees, not believing the fact that he had failed to protect her. Now she was in the hands of the enemy, which was nost likely King Candy, the bane of the arcade. And if Felix was working for him, that meant the evil racer was back for revenge.

"What happened in here?" Wynnchel, along with Duncan, entered the throne room to see it in ruins, and the racers sans Rancis unconscious.

"Fix-It happened," the peanut butter cup racer muttered. "And he took Vanellope."

"The president? She's gone?" Duncan repeated. "By that Fix-It Felix guy? Now I don't believe that. He's too sweet a guy."

"What if I said Fix-It was working for that asshole Candy? And that he's the one who probably sent Felix after her."

"He's right..." Minty was coming to, "At least he could be. Fix-It wasn't himself. Red eyes, glitching, his hammer was white, and he can throw red energy balls around. Yep, he wasn't normal."

"The president and Sour Bill _did_ say that King Candy had been here yesterday in the code room," said Wynnchel, recapping the discovery in the code room.

"But we never guessed he'd use someone as sweet as Fix-It to do his dirty work," added Duncan.

"W-What's...going on?" Adorabeezle struggled to get up, along with the others.

"The president's gone."

"Vanellope? Fix-It took her?"

"We think King Candy has something to do with it," Minty said.

"We gotta find Wreck-It and tell him," Snowanna rose to her feet, shaking herself off and fixing her colorful afro.

"We need your help!"

"Now who..." Rancis and the others turned to see three witches, a blonde, Candlehead, a green-clad plumber, Satine, and other characters burst through the door, escorted in by Sour Bill.

"They just came from _Super Mario Bros_.," the advisor said.

"What happened?"

"Mushroom Kingdom, Luigi's Mansion, all of Mario Land. Gone. Destroyed," It was Peach who answered, panicked.

"We were outnumbered," Luigi added, "Those Cy-Bug things kept coming and consumed the code room."

"And destroyed my castle," Bowser put in. "Lots of us got killed too. Some Toads, my minions, not to mention those guys from _Street Fighter II_."

"And I thought Ryu was cute too," Jubileena said.

"Can we focus please, Jubileena?" Gloyd reminded, then turned to the Koopa King. "Where's Wreck-It?"

"Captured," Satine interjected. "Ralph, Felix's wife from _Hero's Duty_, the strawberry girl from this game, Mario, that kid from _Skies of Arcadia_, among others."

"Taffyta's captured?" Rancis gasped, "And Wreck-It?"

"Where's King Candy taking them?" Crumbelina wondered. "It's gotta be the same place Fix-It took Vanellope."

"Well, the only games he hasn't taken over yet are _Fix-It Felix Jr.,__ Hero's Duty, _and they didn't even bother with this game," Minty pointed out.

"He knows _Sugar Rush _too well. Plus it'll be too obvious. And he might be taking them to a game that's least likely to be taken over."

"And it's safe to say it's not _Fix-It Felix Jr._," the blonde stepped in, "Besides, Turbo's practically taken that one over when he screwed up Felix's code and turned him into a malicious virus."

"So you're saying it's _Hero's Duty_ then, Lucia?" the blue witch next to her guessed.

"It would make sense," Luigi agreed, "But then again, it wouldn't. It's almost suicide, what with all those soldiers on guard?"

"Unless Turbo-zo already took over the game from the get-go and screwed up those guys' codes so that they'll be working for him," said Bowser.

"If what you're saying is true, we need to be careful," Rancis realized.

"Especially when the pres. and Wreck-It Ralph are in that monster's clutches," added Wynnchel.

"And about Felix's code," Mary stepped in, "Deanna and I went into our game to try to fix it, but now...it's so tainted that we can't even touch it."

"Turbo must've done it in a way that simply reconnecting the code doesn't undo everything." added Deanna. "So we don't know what can fix everything. And Felix is starting to lose himself more and more."

"Maybe Fix-It has to remember himself," Zangief guessed, "Just a thought."

"But he's too far gone now," Snowanna countered. "And I doubt anything we say to his is gonna reach out to him. I'm starting to think that when we take care of King Candy, Fix-It's going down with him."

Everyone fell silent at the sound of that, until Mary spoke.

"What?" the Nicelander gasped, "He's a good guy! He's our hero!"

"Not anymore," Rancis said, "From how he kidnapped Vanellope not long ago, Fix-It's not giving us a choice. But we'll give him a chance. We'll try to reach out to him. If not, Snowanna's right. We won't have much choice."

To this, nobody had words. Some (especially Mary and Deanna) believed that Felix could be saved, while others were like Snowanna and believed otherwise.

Rancis, however (despite his words), didn't know how to approach the problem. But in a way, he did believe that Fix-It Felix could be purified. That he could remember himself. And he wanted to hang on to that hope. For Ralph and Vanellope's sake.

**For those who are just favoriting and following, I'd like to hear what you think too. I need to know whether I'm doing well or not. I'm not begging or being harsh or anything. Trust me, something like begging or harshness is demanding reviews on the threat of not updating anymore. And I'm not like that. Besides, I'm moving on this fic regardless because I'm enjoying it just as much as you guys are! But I'd like your support on this fic too!**

**But sometimes a fave or a follow isn't enough. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry it took so long! Look forward to the next one!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Glad to see you all enjoying it so far! Not much to say after that, except to enjoy and don't forget to review in the end (as explained in the last chapter). I'd love to hear your input so I'll know whether or not I'm doing well and/or suggestions and ideas. No pressure, though. **

**And also, I've had one guest reviewer beg me not to kill off Felix (from the other characters' thoughts on the situation last chapter). Don't worry, I'm not THAT cruel! I'm not trying to spoil anything, though! Just keep reading, things will be revealed as you keep reading and as I get ideas and such from others (Though not always necessary).**

**Disclaimer: It's the 12th chapter... everyone should know by now (if not, refer back to the first 11 chapters).**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 12**

"Keep walking!" The soldiers of _Hero's Duty_ were herding Vanellope through a hall of cells containing other video game characters, most of them from _Sonic the Hedgehog_ or games that had been unplugged. The princess was glancing at the faces of ones she recognized, like Gilius from _Golden Axe_ and Tikal (who was praying in the corner of her cell). She looked over at Wario and Waluigi, the Wicked Bros. from _Mario Bros._, who were shaking their bars like a pair of monkeys.

"Runt!" A voice was heard at the end.

"Sarge!" Vanellope pulled her way toward the last cell on the right, upon recognizing the voice as Calhoun's. The princess noticed the blonde a little disheveled but not entirely hurt. But then she noticed two others unconscious in the cell with the commanding officer, one she recognized as Taffyta and the other Mario (who was in plumber form). "What happened to you guys?"

"That damn Turbo and his army of Cy-Bugs happened," Calhoun grumbled. "We were quickly outnumbered. They're not doing too well, though." She nodded to Taffyta and Mario, both covered in bruises and bloody cuts. "They were trying to protect the code room."

"Taffyta..."

"But what happened to _you_, runt?" The blonde was eyeing Vanellope's adult body up and down, only with interest and awe.

"An upgrade for our game. Gave us these new powers, too." Vanellope's fist crackled with blue energy to prove her point. "And then Felix attacked and dragged me here. He's gotten stronger, you know? He can glitch, throw energy balls like me... Yep, he kicked our butts pretty hard."

"If (and when) I get my hands on that Turbo again..." Calhoun growled, still angry at what the evil racer had done to her husband.

"Hey! Keep moving!" Kohut's voice was heard behind Vanellope.

"Can't you see we're talking here?" the princess retorted, then noticed the red eyes. _So I was right. Turbo _did _screw up their code, but not like Felix._

"Insubordination!" The soldier was shouting into a tiny speaker on his arm. "Get me the boss!"

"What a moron..." Vanellope rolled her eyes.

The soldiers behind Kohut chuckled.

"You're in for it now, sweetie," one smirked, "Even though it'd be a shame for him to kill someone as hot as you." The soldier was eyeing Vanellope's body up and down. Then he glanced at Calhoun with the other two prisoners. "And you guys'll join her. Especially the big guy come tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" Vanellope demanded. "Don't tell me Turbo's going to kill Ralph in front of everybody!"

"_He _won't," said another, and that was when his smirk was directed at Calhoun. "But _someone's_ definitely doing the job."

The commando was taken aback, not believing who her men were talking about. "You're lying!"

"I wish I was."

"No..." Vanellope was at a loss for words as she processed this. "They can't. _Ralph_ can't... Not against his best friend."

"Hey, it'll be fun to watch," Kohut chuckled. "Wreck-It Ralph and Fix-It Felix against each other? And I'm not talking about the usual everyday gameplay, either. I'll be in the front row watching Fix-It kill the one person you obviously care about so much. And no point in trying to hide that, either."

"What's going on down here?" Turbo's voice was heard as the 17-foot-tall creature hovered in, then quickly realized the trouble when he noticed Vanellope. "Refusing to get in your cage, glitch?"

"With good reason!" the princess snapped. "What is this I'm hearing about Ralph and Felix fighting against each other?"

"Hoo hoo, curious little Vanellope. These fools told you too much, didn't they?"

"Why not deal with us yourself?"

"I would, princess. You of all people should know I would. But I thought it'd be more fun if I had two best friends fight each other, especially when I know that Ralph will never want to hurt his own partner, which will make it easy for Fix-It to carry out my order, hoo hoo hoo."

Vanellope was growing enraged at the sound of the evil racer's plans. Just looking at the insane, sadistic Candy was making her sick to her stomach, especially his doing such a thing to two friends. Two whom she cared about the most. No way could the princess let Felix and Ralph kill each other. Nor could she let Ralph even go through with such an arrangement. Besides, Vanellope doubted if he actually would stand up against his own friend.

"And now that you're here too," Turbo continued, "Let's just say Ralph has a little...incentive in case he refuses."

"What should we do with her, sir?" Kohut inquired.

"I've got her, don't worry. She can come with me."

But Vanellope scoffed at this. "You're gonna have to kill me first." With that, she hurled an energy ball at Turbo, then several at the corrupted men.

"She's fighting back! Shoot her!" Kohut commanded.

Vanellope made a break for the door, but when she opened it, it was another nightmare standing in front of her, his hammer cradled in his hands.

"Hammer Time..." the princess gasped, taking a step back, but was quickly grabbed by the Felix virus.

"Thought you could slip away easily, glitch?"

Vanellope took one look at the twisted smile of Felix. _Whoa. What has Turbo done to you, Felix? I'll be so glad when we find a way to restore him._

"Good, Fix-It." Turbo then scowled down at Vanellope, a little mark on the side of his insect body from the president's attack. "Looks like that upgrade did more than make you a pretty face. I see you're going to be a problem. But don't worry, that will all change tomorrow, once you watch the warthog you care about most fall."

_Ralph..._

**Hope you all enjoyed! And a little heads-up that the next few chapters will be relatively shorter than usual (probably up 'til 18). A couple of them will be filler and others will have some action. The reason why I'm putting filler in this fic as needed is so that it will flow better and won't feel rushed. I'd like this plot to develop slowly. I think I've explained this earlier too. Anyhow, read and don't forget to review!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 13**

"Move it, people!" Tapper urged as he and his customers were clearing out of his namesake game. Cy-Bugs had broken into it, assimilating the stragglers and devouring equipment. Some of the characters, like Ratchet, Fox McCloud, and Link, stayed behind to try to buy everyone time as others were frantically running for their lives to Game Central Station.

"Hurry up, fools!" Ganondorf was waving them forward.

"You heard him!" Daxter shouted. "Move your tails!"

"Link!" Zelda glanced back at Link, who was slashing at the coming Cy-Bugs.

"Zelda! Don't worry about me! Go!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Not much of a choice there, Princess," Pit grabbed the Hylian's arm, dragging her toward the exit with the crowd. But then he was snatched up by a Cy-Bug, dropping Zelda.

"Pit!" the princess was redying her Light Arrow.

"Go, Princess!" the angel screamed, feeling the Cy-Bug's hold on him strengthen. "Get out of here with everyone else!"

Zelda had no choice. Swallowing her pride, she followed the crowd out of _Tapper_ to safety.

_Find Wreck-It Ralph and the others,_ she thought.

But their escape was stopped, when several Koopas and Princess Daisy from _Super Mario Bros._ were waiting at the port.

"Daisy!" Zelda ran over to hug the flower princess.

"We were on the lookout from _Sugar Rush_ and saw some of those nasty bugs come in here. Good thing we're just in time!" Daisy smiled, then called, "Alright, everyone! Get to _Sugar Rush_ now!"

"Why _Sugar Rush_?" Zelda asked.

"Turbo-drastic hasn't invaded that one. That's only one that's safe right now."

"Yeah," a Hammer Bro. agreed. "_Fix-It Felix Jr._ and _Hero's Duty_ were dominated big time, we heard. I wouldn't go near either."

"Now let's go! Everyone's waiting!"

...

"I'm sure Lucia's worried," Sonia said to herself. The slayer was being held in the room Turbo claimed as his own in the large fortress of _Hero's Duty_. The evil racer had dominated it once he reprogrammed the game. "No, I know she is, just like I know she and everyone else is coming to save me."

"And how is my zombie-slaying beauty?" King Candybug entered the room, smiling as if everything was fine.

"Let me guess, you took over another game."

"It was just _Tapper_. Oh, and I had a glitch to deal with." Then Turbo caressed Sonia's chin with his claw. "Don't worry, I took care of her. She won't bother us again, I promise. Not after tomorrow once she watches Wreck-It Ralph die at the hands of my virus in front of everyone."

Sonia pulled away from him, angry. "You sadist! What do you hope to gain out of this?"

"Revenge, for starters. I thought you knew that already, hoo hoo hoo. And the entire arcade. I'll even let you rule alongside me as my queen now that I think about it." Turbo cupped her chin, lifting it up so their eyes met. Being face-to-face with this creature made Sonia wonder why she'd ever falllen in love with love with him in the first place. It made her sick just thinking about it. Sonia had to find a way out. She had to. And then she saw it. Right in the corner of her eye, Sonia noticed a broken bedpost, with edges jagged enough to do some damage. Though it wouldn't kill him, it would give Sonia a chance to escape.

_It's not my staff, but at least it's metal._ Grabbing the sharp makeshift weapon, the slayer stabbed it into one of Turbo's arms, causing him to release his hold of her and allowing her escape. Sonia made a break for the open door, seconds away from freedom. She had to warn Vanellope and Ralph of Turbo's plan, then get out and warn Lucia.

But the Cy-Bug hybrid was quicker as he rolled between her and the door, closing it and snatching her up.

"I should've known better," he scowled. "Catching me off guard like that. You almost made it to the door too, but it appears I'm not an idiot, dear Sonia." Turbo dragged the zombie hunter to the bed, tossing her in it and hovering over her. He was lucky the bed was king-sized, big enough for even him. He stared hungrily at Sonia, black eyes trained on her black and midnight blue-clad features. Just as a claw made contact with her, she swatted it away.

"Not this time," she growled, knowing what he was going to do. Sonia was not going to let thirty years ago repeat itself, but the way Turbo had her pinned down said otherwise.

"Trust me, Sonia. You don't have much of a choice." King Candy/Turbo sneered as he caged her inside his six legs. "Once I knock the fight out of you, that is."

**From this scene alone, now you understand pretty well why I'm trying to write in some filler in this fic, though this is the other part of the please (cause I know there'll be a few who are going to ask me), do not request a fic that shows what happens between this chapter and the next, because I will not be writing it! I do not feel comfortable with writing such scenes, nor am I any comfortable reading them. That being said, next chapter coming up in a few! Hope you guys are looking forward to it!**

**REVIEW! **


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 14**

"So? Anyone have an idea on how we're gonna storm _Hero's Duty_?" Gloyd inquired. He, Rancis, the other racers, Lucia, and the rest of the survivors were huddled around in the throne room of Vanellope's castle, brainstorming on plans to save Vanellope, Ralph, and the other captured characters, which included Felix. The pumpkin racer did not think killing the Good Guy was the answer, who cared if he was evil. Gloyd felt Felix could still be saved. Some were with him on not killing Felix, while others (namely Bowser and Dr. Eggman) wanted the handyman dead.

"Any ideas?" Rancis asked, glancing over everyone in the room.

"Well, considering Turbo-zo has those soldiers and nasty bugs on his side," Bowser started. "The first thing is to make sure there aren't any wusses coming with us when we make a resident upheaval. Seriously, if you're scared to die outside your game, you're staying here."

"HEY!" The Toads in the group jumped, angry at the insult.

"Who the hell asked _him_?" one of the Nokis behind them cursed. "Anyone else got ideas?"

"Well, I have one, but it's to stop Turbo (when we get there, of course)," Allyn said, coughing.

"Witch!" Eggman covered himself, moving away from the green-clad witch. "You're going to get _me_ infected!"

Darting a scowl at the doctor, she continued, "Anyway, my sisters and I were thinking of a spell we could use to vanquish demons, except we could word it so it can destroy Turbo (or at least his disgusting Cy-Bug form)."

"With just three of us?" Whitney asked, "Keep in mind, Al. Vivian's dead. How are three of us going to pull this off?"

"Who said we had only three?" Sarah interjected, glancing at Lucia, who was puzzled. "Lucy, come here."

"What?" the necromancer approached the three witches. "I'm not a witch. I'm a..."

"Honey, a necromancer is a kind of witch (or wizard). And we need four to cast this spell."

"Besides, we've taught you a little bit of our craft, so you're kinda our sister now," Allyn added.

"Lucia, we need you," Whitney pleaded. "And don't worry, we'll spend the whole night going over it."

"But are you sure it's gonna work," Snowanna cut in.

"Look it should work," Sarah assured the sherbet racer. "If it doesn't, well..."

"But how are we gonna bust into the place?" Jubileena asked.

That was when DK spoke up, slamming his chest and getting everyone's attention.

"Okay, I don't speak ape."

"Clearly he's saying that he's our ticket to breaking into Turbo's compound," Tails guessed.

"And we won't be alone either!" Bowser stepped forward. "I'm ready to scorch some viral crap and pod soldiers. Consider us your get-into King-Asshole's-tower-free cards." He chuckled.

"HAIL BOWSER!" The Koopa minions shouted.

"Guys! Turbo's getting dangerously close to destroying everything!"

"Daisy!" Princess Peach ran over to hug her best friend when the flower princess burst in with Zelda, Ganon, and other characters. "What happened? Where did you guys come from?"

"_Tapper_," It was Daxter who spoke up. "I tell you, that Turbo chump's crazy. And don't get me started on _Burger Time_."

"No one survived that game," Jak added. "Sly Cooper and his gang, the Bonanza Bros., that honey bear and bird, everyone in there. Dead. Those Cy-Bugs chewed it up in no time flat."

"This is the only game left then," Lucia said, "And the only one that's free."

"Which means he's going to attack this game, no doubt," Rancis added. "And we're not letting him take it over like he did Vanellope!"

"That apparently means half of us will stay here and get ready to defend this place," said Wynnchel. "For the princess!"

"We'll stay here," Minty Zaki decided, glancing at Jubileena, Snowanna, Adorabeezle, and Crumbelina. "Rancis, Candlehead, you go and save our pres."

"We're right behind you, man," Swizzle, along with Gloyd, patted the muscular racer on the shoulder. "My whirlwinds and Gloyd's shields'll back you up big time."

Rancis glanced at his closet friends, then at the entire score of characters. Together they were strong enough to take on Turbo and an entire throng of Cy-Bugs. No way were they going to let a demented racer take over the entire arcade. Plus, Rancis looked up to Wreck-It Ralph and had a crush on Vanellope. He couldn't let either of them die, even if the princess were to love Ralph more, which appeared that way to him sometimes. Of course, Rancis was a little jealous and had always been like that even before the upgrade. But that just meant he loved Vanellope as much as Ralph possibly did.

"So, when do we get going?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Rancis regarded Luigi, who seemed ready to take on anything to get his brother back.

"Yeah, when?" a Goomba agreed, "'Cause I'm ready to Headbonk some Cy-Bug trash right now."

"I'm with you, man," an Ice Bro. put in. "But I want a piece of Turbo ass along with that."

"Dude, I get first crack at him," a Kritter interjected.

Rancis sighed, smiling at enjoying their enthusiasm. "We leave first thing in the morning. We need to rest for the night so we can be ready."

There were reluctant nods and confident salutes as everyone followed Sour Bill up to guest rooms throughout the castle.

When everyone was gone, Rancis looked at the empty throne, its owner not present.

_Don't worry, Vanellope.__ We're coming._

_..._


	16. Chapter 15

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 15**

"Gotta be a way out of these chains," Vanellope was struggling with the collar of her restraints in her cell, but steel was too strong and also glitch-proof (she learned that when she tried glitching out of the collar). The princess sighed, knowing there was no use.

_Just like last time_, she realized. _Except we're in _Hero's Duty. _I wonder if Ralph realizes I'm here. And that he knows he's fighting against Hammer Time. I just can't bear to watch that tomorrow. There has to be a way out so I can at least warn Ralph._

"Runt?" a voice was heard. "You were caught too, huh? And why are you so...mature? Upgrade?"

Vanellope turned her head to see a large cyber-clad man, also in chains. The princess could recognize him easily.

"Markowski..." she realized. "I thought you were..."

"Turbo didn't scramble my code. He couldn't actually. I was too close to the Sarge, so he saw me as a threat and threw me in here. So he got you too?"

"Yeah, Felix did."

"I don't know what the hell's up with Fix-It, but he sure wasn't a sight to see. I've been here a while, ever since that Turbo asshole took over this game."

"So you haven't heard about him planning for Fix-It to kill Ralph in front of everyone?"

"I have, actually. Just before you were thrown in here. And I can try to get you out of these chains so you can warn Wreck-It."

"I've tried getting out. They're too strong!"

"Don't worry, runt." Markowski held up his wrist. Vanellope noticed a glint on it.

_A key_. she gasped. "But how...?"

"Everyone in this game has a key. The Sarge insists, just in case Cy-Bugs try to escape prisons in the compound, or this sort of stuff happens. The soldier character chuckled, and Vanellope felt hope. She was going to get out. She had to warn Ralph. She had to.

_Don't worry, Stinkbrain. I'm on my way._

**Please review!**


	17. Chapter 16

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 16**

_"Beautiful day, isn't it?"_ _Vanellope flashed a smile at Ralph. They were sitting in front of the chocolate lake in _Sugar Rush_, enjoying the always-light sky and each other's company._

_"Isn't it always like this?" the wrecker reminded her, eyebrow raised. The same bewildered expression he had at the sight of the princess's upgrade. _How did she get like that, I wonder?

_"I know," she said, her mischievous grin on her face, which was twice as full of mischief when she was still a child. "Just loved saying that. And I wanted to test you."_

_Ralph couldn't help but chuckle at this. _Same old Vanellope, no matter what she looks like on the outside.

_Suddenly, the sky darkened, which was unusual in the candy-themed racing game. _

_"What's going on?" the "villain" wondered. _

_"Ralph!" Vanellope's shriek was heard as he turned to notice the princess in the claws of the bane of the arcade, who sneered down at Ralph with amusement._

_"Turbo! Let her go!" _

_"Oh, I'm afraid I can't do that, hoo hoo!"_

_Ralph charged at the Cy-Bug hybrid, but then was blocked by a swarm of candy-coated Cy-Bugs._

_"Looks like I'll be taking your princess, after all, Wreck-It Ralph!" The tyrant cackled, flying off to the candy kingdom with Vanellope in his claws._

_"RALPH!"_

"Vanellope!" Ralph jolted awake, breathing heavily. He reached up to rub sweat off his forehead, but found he couldn't. That was when the wrecker realized he was chained to the wall of a cell. A steel cell, to be exact. Not like the ones from _Panzer Dragoon_, which had been unplugged about a year ago. Those had definitely been unsanitary, he remembered. He had had a horrible nightmare, and he was thankful that it _was_ just a bad dream. He couldn't bear to think of what would have happened if he'd actually lost Vanellope this time like he almost had last time. But that nightmare made Ralph wonder: did he care about Vanellope past normal friendship? Granted, she was older in the dream, but in reality (where she clearly wasn't), would they make it work? And how she'd screamed his name as she was being dragged off by Turbo/Candy, which made Ralph believe he's actually heard her voice. Had she been kidnapped for real too? Or worse, had _Felix_ killed her? The "villain" sighed, confused and above all angry. He couldn't let Turbo take over the entire arcade and use his best friend as his sword to get there. And he definitely wasn't going to be pitted against him, which meant finding a way to save Felix.

"I see you're awake at last, Wreck-It Ralph."

"Felix!" The wrecker looked up to see his nemesis and partner enter the cell, a twisted smile on his face.

"Already rested for your death tomorrow, I see."

"What are you talking about?" Ralph growled, "What does Turbo have planned? I know it's to kill me, but how?"

"In front of all your friends," Felix chuckled, then moved closer. "But he's not the one doing the deed. Would you like to know who, Ralph?" That was when the handyman moved closer to Ralph's ear, whispering something in it. What Ralph heard left a blank and shocked expression on his face.

"You...?" the wrecker gasped. "He's pitting us against each other?"

"You catch on quite quickly, Ralph. Looks like Turbo knows something I don't about the two of us if he's sending me in for the kill and wants everyone to see."

"It's not that you don't know, Felix, it's just that you don't remember. We're friends, Felix. You may not believe me now, but it's true. Turbo scrambled your code and made you this way. He's taking over the arcade! He's even reprogrammed your wife's game _Hero's Duty_. And she's locked up too!"

"Friends?" Felix repeated, "You and I? I don't remember me ever being friends with an overgrown ape like you. You sound kinda like that dynamite gal who claims to be my wife. What was her name? Tammy?"

"Because you two _are_ married." _I gotta try to reach out to him._ "You and Calhoun. Remember? You met her when you were looking for me. Remember how much I had put you through that time? And I was your best man at the wedding."

Felix stared at Ralph, eyebrow raised at what he was hearing. From what the wrecker was saying, it was as if he actually had a life before he started serving Turbo. But then again, Ralph could very well be making the whole thing up just to prolong his death and probably find a way out. From how the "villain" was chained, however, escape wasn't possible. Besides, Felix wasn't buying Ralph one bit. The handyman saw those brown eyes boring into his, full of what appeared to be pleading and the desire for Feilx to remember.

"Felix..." Ralph said, going as far as the chains could allow. "Look at me and remember. You can fight this, screw Turbo corrupting your code. We can stop him together. You just have to remember yourself."

"Ralph..." the Felix virus said, staring at the wrecker. He knelt down to him...then sent a current of crackling red energy coursing through Ralph's body. The "villain" spasmed in pain, dropping to the floor in a heap.

"You're insane," the Good Guy finally said, piercing Ralph with a glare that could kill.

"Felix...I'm not..." Ralph said, "Everything I've told you...is true."

"I don't want to hear anymore! You and I were never friends and I don't have a wife!" Felix kept his crimson eyes on him for a long second, then turned to leave. "Be glad I didn't kill just now." As he left the cell, he regarded Ralph. "By the way, the glitch will be watching you too. She's safe in her cell for now." The handyman chuckled.

"Where is she, Felix?" Ralph demanded, yanking on the chains. "You'd better not hurt her!"

"Oh, I haven't, but I know she's a force to be reckoned with. Don't worry, Ralph. You'll see her tomorrow before I kill you. I'd better go check on the little glitch right now, come to think of it. I'll see you tomorrow, Wreck-It Ralph." Felix's maniacal laugh echoed as he left the wrecker's cell, leaving the latter alone.

_So they got Vanellope too!_ Ralph realized. _Turbo's insane if he thinks I'm going to fight against my own partner. But looking at him right now is telling me that's not Felix. But he _is_ in there somewhere, fighting to get out. I know it. I just know it. But I just can't fight (let alone kill) my own buddy. I just can't. But something tells me if I want any chance of saving Vanellope, I may not have much of a choice._

**I'll admit it. I got scared writing this chapter. Imagine a creepy Felix vs. Ralph. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy and please review! I'd love to hear your opinions on this one!**


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 17**

Sonia woke up the next morning, groggy and hoarse. Her head was reeling from last night, making her wonder what had happened last night. Then she heard breathing right next to her, which was when she noticed King Candy sleeping next to her on the bed. Finally she looked down at herself. She was completely naked! Disgusted, she tried to get out of bed, but the massive creature had a strong grip on her. Sonia couldn't believe it. It was thirty years ago all over again, except with a Cy-Bug twist! The evil racer had pinned her to the bed, then he... The zombie slayer couldn't even think about it. Just thinking about it made her sick everytime.

"I see you're awake, my dear."

"You..." The slayer growled in a hoarse voice. "You're...sick..." She nearly stumbled out of the bed, trying to back away from Candy.

"I know it's been a while since we last did this." The tyrant stroked her back with his clawed hand, trying (and failing) to soother her. "It's not easy. But I already know that from all the screaming you did last night. It's quite arousing, you know? Reminds me of how the girls used to scream my name on the racetrack."

_You've got to be kidding me!_ Sonia thought, staring at Turbo in disbelief. How could he say all of that so...casually? As if there was nothing wrong. _He really _has _gone insane. No way was this the Turbo I dated._

"Ralph's not set to die until tonight. What are you up for to pass the time?"

"Like letting me out of here, for starters."

"Now you know why I can't do that, Sonia. Besides, I still love you. Why would I let, in your language, a _bella principessa_ like you, slip away from me?"

Sonia gritted her teeth at the Italian endearment, annoyed at Turbo's other ones at the same time. She badly wished she had her staff right now, so she could really teach him a lesson, and in Italian while she was at it. But all she could do was wait for a light of hope. And that light of hope could be that night.

**As I said before a few chapters ago in the "before" stage of the Sonia/Turbo scene, I will not be doing a side fic of what happened between that and this chapter (far as the Sonia/Turbo pairing is concerned). I know I haven't gotten requests of it..as of yet, but I just wanted to inform again just in case someone does ask in their reviews. I'm not trying to be harsh or anything, I'm just reminding. That being said, hope Lucia or the other characters come save her! Hope you all enjoyed (even though it was short) and are looking forward to the next chapter!**

**The action starts next chapter! In the meantime, Follow, Favorite, and REVIEW! I love reading your opinions!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Thanks for the reviews so far, for those who did, of course. And for those who have just started favoriting and following, welcome and I hope to hear your opinions too! Things are starting to kick back up again with Chapter 18 (can't believe I've gotten this far)! That being said, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: You all should know the drill by now. I only own Sonia and Lucia. All other characters belong to their rightful owners.**

**P.S: I'd like to give a big thanks to girlandgreenpandaline for her fic's inspiration in the last chapter! **

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 18**

"Alright, guys," Rancis said after disembarking the train from _Sugar Rush_, along with around twenty-five or thirty other characters, including Swizzle, Gloyd, and Candlehead. He led the group of the port. "We're going into hell here, so I'm only giving you this choice once: if you're not up for this, you'd better go back right now. Once we enter _Hero's Duty_, there's no turning back. And I'm pretty sure King Candy's guys are waiting for us in there."

"Hey, we were born doing this, Reese's Dude," a Goomba said.

"Yeah, man, don't count us out," a Boomerang Bro. chimed in.

"We're your ticket in, remember?" Bowser reminded, gesturing to King Dedede, , DK, and a cluster of Krushas.

"You need us to vanquish Turbo, Rancis," Lucia put in, "And I'm not abandoning Sonia. I swear, if he did anything to her..."

"Calm down, Luce," Luigi patted the necromancer's shoulder. "Mario's in there too, so I understand how you feel."

"Looks like we're all coming," Whitney decided, then glanced at her two remaining sisters. "Right, ladies?"

"For Vivian!" Sarah and Allyn agreed.

"We're ready then, Rancis," Swizzle said, taking his friend's side, Gloyd the other.

"Let's go, then." Rancis faced the _Hero's Duty _port. "King Koopa, get the big guys ready and take the front."

Bowser chuckled, then he and the other heavyweights led the group in.

_Welcome to hell._ The peanut butter cup racer thought. _Fix-It, I don't care if you're good or a good friend of Vanellope's, but if you laid a hand on her, I won't hesitate._

...

"One of these cells has got to be Ralph's," Vanellope whispered as she and Markowski quietly walked down a hall of sturdy-looking cells. They all looked stronger than Vanellope's cell. It made sense, since Ralph was known to have immense strength and could break through almost anything.

"Over here, squirt."

The princess went over to the cell Markowski was glancing through to see a familiar figure chained to the wall.

_Ralph..._ she realized. "Hopefully this isn't glitch-proof. Watch for Turbo, Fix-It, or any of your buddies from this game, okay?"

"Got it."

Nodding, Vanellope glitched through the steel door of Ralph's prison.

"Ralph!" she ran over to him, shaking him awake. "Ralph! It's me, Vanellope!"

"Kid..." the wrecker slowly lifted his head, waking up to see the princess. "Van..Vanellope?"

"You're okay!" She grabbed him in a hug. "I'm glad!"

"How'd you end up here?"

"Hammer Time kidnapped me, but Markowski got me out to warn you about what Turbo's planning for you tonight."

"I know about it. He's getting Felix to kill me in front of everyone, and I'm pretty sure your life's on the line if I refuse to go through with it. But...I don't want to lose you or Felix, Vanellope. There has to be some other way to save both of you without risking either of you."

"There isn't, Ralph. Not at the moment, at least. I mean, Turbo's basically forcing you to choose between us. If you kill Fix-It, I'm safe, but if not, you're dead. And if you refuse..."

Ralph stared up at Vanellope, brown eyes filled with fear for her safety. If he refused to fight Felix entirely, he going to lose her. But he still refused to fight his own friend, though not at the expense of Vanellope's life. There had to be another way. There had to be. Pulling Vanellope to him, the "villain" hugged her with a passion. A passion that screamed the desire to protect her. To save her. To hold on to the hope that there had to be a way to save both her and Felix. If he had to die for it in the end, so be it.

"Uh...Ralph?" Vanellope was confused, blushing.

"Please, let me hold on to you for a little while longer."

"Ralph..." the princess melted into his embrace, feeling safe in the wrecker's strong arms. That was when she realized she loved him. More than a friend, that was for sure.

"Trust me, we'll find a way to save you both of you. I'm not losing either of you, even if I have to risk my life for it." Ralph stared down at Vanellope, whose eyes told him that she believed him. That he'd reach out to Felix and save them both. "What happened to you, by the way?" The "villain's" eyes were looking at Vanellope's matured features up and down.

"Who let you out of your cage, glitch?" King Candybug burst into the cell, flanked by three of the soldier characters, one of them with a firm grip on Markowski. The tyrant's eyes then fell on him, realizing it. "You! You must've had a key hidden somewhere."

"Maybe I did," Markowski mocked. "Or maybe 'your' men didn't bother checking me."

"I won't let you do this, Turbo!" Vanellope rose to her feet, energy balls generating in either palm. She took one more glance at Ralph. _Maybe I can stop this freak right here. No way am I letting Turbo pit two friends against each other._ She hurled them at the soldiers, releasing Markowski.

"Runt..." he said.

"Go free the others! At least Sarge!"

"Can do!" The _Hero's Duty_ soldier headed off, leaving Vanellope face-to-face with Turbo, who was angered at the princess's cleverness.

"That was not the best thing you should've done just now," the virus hissed as he swung his tail at Vanellope, who glitched out of the way just in time. The princess then responded with a pair of energy orbs, which struck King Candy head-on.

"I'm not letting you play Ralph and Hammer Time against each other! You're gonna have to get through me first!"

"Hoo hoo, I plan to, little glitch."

...

"Damn bars..." Calhoun muttered, yanking on the steel bars of the cell. Taffyta was striking at them with her lance, and Mario was gripping them with his flames. But none of their attacks caused a scratch.

"This sucks." Taffyta slumped back against the wall. "And Wreck-It's supposed to fight Fix-It tonight. And we don't know how long we got, given that it's always dark in this game."

"It's-a probably-a morning already in the real world," Mario guessed. "And we have until tonight..."

"To stop my husband from making a terrible mistake? Yeah," Calhoun finished.

"Sarge! There you are!"

"Markowski?" The _Hero's Duty_ lead glanced through the bars to see one of her soldiers heading to their cell. _No, that's the last thing we need right now. That bastard probably sent him here to make fun of us until tonight._ But when she was eye-to-eye with Markowski, Calhoun realized he was not under Turbo's influence.

"I'm here to get you outta here, Sarge!" The soldier pulled out a key (the same one from Vanellope's) to open the cell.

"I thought for a second you were...infected by King Pain-in-the-Ass," Taffyta said, arms folded.

"I was at _Burger Time_ when Turbo attacked this game, so I wasn't affected. And I'm pretty sure he's sending Fix-It after me, so we need to move!"

"You don't have to tell me twice." The pink-clad racer started for the door, Mario following behind.

"Hey? What about us?" Wario was wrestling with the bars.

"Yeah! How come they're so special? Jerks!" Vyse (still sick from Felix) was pulling on his cell like an angry monkey.

"We'll free you guys later. Geez!" Taffyta huffed at the other prisoners. "We can't risk you ALL getting hurt!"

"Like you four?"

"Shoot..." Taffyta swore as she and Mario turned to see they'd been caught. Felix was standing at the doorway, scowling.

"Looks like the king was right," the Good Guy said as his eyes fell on Markowski. "Who told you to let prisoners out?"

"Now look here, Fix-It!" Markowski jabbed a finger at Felix. "I don't know what the hell that Turbo chump did to you, but..."

"Markowski! Don't provoke this Fix-It-like piece of malware!" Calhoun cut him off. "There's no reasoning with him, anyway. I know that's not my husband anymore, but Fix-It's in there somewhere."

"Yeah, keep thinking that," Felix chuckled, fists crackling with red energy.

"If you want, Sarge, I can take him!" Taffyta pointed her lance at the Good Guy.

"Me-a too!" Mario joined the racer, flames dancing on his fist.

"Like hell you two will," Calhoun countered, "If you two die here, you don't regenerate. You guys need to find Wreck-It and the runt and get them out of here."

"We're not leaving you behind!" Taffyta agreed.

"You don't have much of a choice. Markowski, get these two out of here!"

"Right, Sarge!" The soldier started to lead Taffyta and Mario out of the cell corridor.

"Be-a careful!" Mario called back.

"I plan to." Calhoun smirked, then stared her corrupt husband down. "I don't know who you are, but you're clearly not my husband!"

Felix glitched up to her. "You're right. I'm not," he whispered in her ear, then let loose an energy sphere, knocking Calhoun backward.

"Sarge!" Taffyta cried.

"She'll be okay!" Markowski assured her as she and Mario were led toward a staircase leading to the next floor. "The important thing is Fix-It hasn't gotten to you two. Now go! Wreck-It and the runt are up on the next floor, and they could use your help!"

"But what about you?" Mario asked.

"I need to go back and assist! Can't leave Sarge alone with that malware husband of hers! Unlike you two, we can regenerate."

Taffyta and Mario knew Markowski had a point. They weren't in _Sugar Rush_ or _Super Mario Bros._, the latter being the one destroyed. Both nodded to the soldier, then started upstairs to help Vanellope and Ralph. Taffyta hoped they weren't too late.

_Vanellope, if that King Candy creep killed you already (I hope he didn't), I swear...the last word he'll be breathing will be my name once I'm done with him._

**Hope you all are enjoying the ride so far! We're about halfway through! But I've been getting a lot of good reviews! Thank you for the support! Not much else to say, except to look forward to the next chapter and review the heck out of this one!**


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: All characters (except Lucia and Sonia, and I forgot the witches) belong to their respective owners.**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 19**

"Anyone need to be reminded that those things are abundant in this game?" Sarah asked. She, and the entire crew (after getting past the guard at the port thanks to Rancis) were crossing the bridge heading toward the looming compound. Along the way, they were met by a throng of Cy-Bugs and were still locked in an onslaught.

"These things will not quit even if you paid them," Bowser quipped, breathing out stream after stream of fire. "And I do pay my minions, by the way."

"Oh yeah, that's good to know..." Daxter rolled his eyes, "When we're about to die!"

"Nobody's going to die!" Rancis assured everyone as he took down a pesky virus. "But we do need to get through. We're wasting time here!"

"I can make a path, man," Swizzle clapped his hands, making a tornado appear. "Candlehead, light 'er up!"

The birthday cake girl lit up her fists, touching them to the tornado and turning it into a flaming cyclone that moved through the never-ending Cy-Bugs, incinerating any in its path.

"I could've thought of that," Bowser grumbled.

"Oh, shut up," Whitney huffed. "You were just too slow, that's all."

"Look, witch..."

"Guys! Enough!" Lucia jumped between them. "Let's go!" Then she regarded Gloyd. "Pumpkin, how big can you make your shields?"

"I don't know," the pumpkin racer replied. "But I can try to expand one so most of us can fit."

"Don't worry about us, kid," Bowser assured him as he, DK, , Dedede, , and Zangief surrounded the group once again. "We'll protect you wusses again just in case any attack again."

"Wusses?" Daxter repeated, "I should come over there and kick your fiery a..."

"DAXTER!" Jak cut him off. "Now's not the time!"

"Yeah, ya plague ridden rodent," agreed Dedede in his Southern accent. "Now, if anyone ain't got no objections, we're stormin' this place! Turbo ain't gonna de-de-dethrone me!"

"Something we all agree on," chuckled.

**Sorry this one's so short! Read and review so I can hear your opinions! Next chapter coming soon!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Here's the next chapter! Glad to see everyone enjoying the ride so far! Oh, and please, if you have any flames, keep them to yourself! I just read an anonymous review for another fic saying that this one had Satanic references because I put witches in it! Just to let you all know, THE WITCHES ARE NOT THE MAIN CHARACTERS! I'll probably kill them off later, anyway! But don't go persuading others not to read this! If you don't like it, fine, don't read! But don't deter others from reading if they're interested! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 20**

"Have you given up yet, glitch?" King Candy had Vanellope pinned to the wall, his face glitching between himself and Turbo.

"No...I'll...never..." the princess's fist crackled with blue sparks, then she punched the creature in the gut, subduing him.

"Kid..." Ralph watched in awe. The wrecker couldn't believe it. It felt like yesterday that he had been the one saving Vanellope, but now it was the other way around. And how she sparkled with a radiant air about her just added on to how powerful the upgrade made her. She could probably even match Felix.

"Stinkbrain! You okay?" Vanellope ran over to him, checking on the "villain."

"I'm fine, Vanellope. Wow, I never guessed..."

"Well, you know..." she tossed her long, dark hair back, which made Ralph's face go red.

"Vanellope! There you guys are!"

"Taffyta!" The princess/president noticed the pink-clad racer at the doorway with Mario.

"I'd never thought I'd see you standing up to me, Taffyta," Turbo, recovering from Vanellope's attack and face-to-face with the racer. "I always thought you looked up to me. Wonder what happened?"

"_You_ happened, you sick freak!" Taffyta readied her lance, prepared to take on the 17-foot-creature before her. Mario was right next to her, fists burning with red-hot flames. "Come on, Vanellope, let's take this King Candy creep together!"

"I was thinking the same thing!" agreed Vanellope as she glitched over to her friend and the Italian plumber's side, energy spheres at the ready.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you fools."

"Felix..." Ralph realized as the corrupt handyman entered the cell, this time dragging an unconscious Markowski and a struggling (and enraged) Calhoun.

"Fix-It?" Taffyta regarded him.

"Just in time, hoo hoo hoo," Candy was thrilled. "You might want to listen to my little pet if you don't want anything to happen to them." He pointed a claw at the two soldierd.

"Are you guys dense? They'll regenerate."

"No, they won't. I've infected this game pretty well so that even killing them here means they're dead. And stay dead."

"That's not true," Vanellope said in disbelief. "It can't be..."

"Unfortunately, it is, runt." Calhoun sighed. "It seems he's done quite a bit of reprogramming in this game. But don't worry about me. Kill him."

"But then he'll..." Then the princess turned to notice that Turbo had a hold on Ralph, his claw to his neck.

"What will it be, glitch?" the tyrant smirked.

"Get your claws off him!" Vanellope was ready to aim her energy orbs at Candy, but the latter's grip on Ralph strengthened.

"Vanellope!" The wrecker fought against it. "Don't worry about me! As long as you're safe..."

"I wouldn't listen, Vanellope, hoo hoo hoo. I _will_ kill him, only it will be more painful than what Felix will do to those two."

Vanellope turned back to Calhoun and Markowski, still in the Felix virus's clutches. He had his hammer at the ready, ready to infect them. The princess did not want to see anyone killed, nor could she risk anyone killed. Taffyta and Mario both looked at her, as if waiting for her decision. Then looking back at Ralph, Vanellope knew what she had to do, as much as she hated it.

"Take us," the princess finally said, "Just don't kill Ralph."

"Vanellope!" Taffyta blurted out.

"Why-a would you-a do that?" Mario added.

"I can't risk you guys getting killed," Vanellope sighed. _Especially Ralph._

"You made the right decision, glitch," Turbo hissed, face glitching between his two personas. "Of course, I can't promise that Ralph will be here much longer after Felix puts an end to him tonight. But you should be honored, because we get to watch that together." The tyrant cackled.

"You're insane!"

"I'll take that as a compliment, _Princess_ Vanellope. But you should save the rest of those insults for tonight, hoo hoo hoo."

**Read and Review! And as I said before I started on this chapter, if you don't like this fic, don't read! You don't have to go around warning and badgering it because you don't like witches or magic and whatnot. And they're not the main characters! You know who you are, and so do I. And I'm not threatening, either. This is just a let-you-know- thing. So, one more time, if you don't like, don't read!**


	22. Chapter 21

**Thanks for all the reviews so far! I appreciate (and love) the support. Here's the next chapter!**

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 21**

"I'll tell you. They need to shed a little more light on this place," Swizzle said as he and the others were heading up the stairs of the compound, fighting off Cy-Bugs that dared attacked.

"Who're you tellin'?" Bowser agreed. "Especially when these damn bugs ain't givin' an inch!" The Koopa King breathed flames left and right at the oncoming viruses. Eggman was tossing Egg Grenades and Zangief and DK were slamming and crushing them into submission.

"Guys..." Gloyd was starting to grow weak. "I can't hold this shield any longer." His pumpkin barrier was starting to fade.

"Hang in there, Gloyd," Rancis instructed. "At least until we're out of this area."

"And into more shit," a Goomba added.

"Can we think positive, please?" Lucia suggested.

"Oh yeah, I'm thinking positive, blondie," a Hammer Bro. said sarcastically. "That we're gonna die quickly!"

"Guys, c'mon!" Luigi interjected, "My bro is with that Turbo creep and we're arguing."

"Yeah, this isn't doing anyone any good," Candlehead agreed. "We gotta have positive attitudes here."

"This must lead to another room. Finally." Rancis and the others stopped to notice a metal vault-like door leading to the next floor.

"Is it the code room?" Swizzle inquired.

"Only one way to find out." The muscular racer opened the metal door, which, instead of the code room, led to another specimen room, where there were several cylindrical containers containing Cy-Bug larvae, eggs, and some of the matured variety as well.

"More of these creeps?" Bowser complained.

"They're locked up, genius," Daxter noted, leaping off of Jak's shoulder and taking a closer look at the imprisoned creatures.

"Intruders!"

"Looks like company!" the ottsel scurried back up to his perch, with Jak, along with the others, prepared to fight as several soldiers made their presence known, guns at the ready.

"Get them!" the one in front commanded as they charged for the group.

"You're going through us first!" Bowser stepped forward, breathing a stream of flames at the men. Gloyd joined the Koopa King, his pumpkin barrier knocking some of them off their feet on contact, and DK was knocking them into comas.

"Looks like we'll have to go through them first!" Lucia realized, she and the three witches joining hands and creating a blast that sent several of the corrupt guards flying.

"But one of them should know where Vanellope and everyone are," said Rancis, clocking a guard.

"And where the code room is," added Swizzle, creating a mini tornado at the surrounding soldiers. "But that makes me wonder: is anyone good at restoring codes?"

"One of them might!" Candlehead guessed, then noticed a guard reaching somewhere of hers. "Hands off!" She hurled a flame at him, lighting him like a torch.

The last guard standing was backing away slowly, panicked and knowing he was outnumbered.

"The master's gonna be pissed about this!" He started to run, but then stopped in his tracks, as if by some mental force. He tried to move, but couldn't. "W-What the hell?"

"Wow, you're really getting the hang of our craft, Lucia," Whitney smirked, watching as the necromancer was focusing the power she never thought she had on the guard, forcing him to turn around.

"Let me go!" he demanded.

Rancis ignored this, approaching him. "You're going to tell us what we need to know, unless you want her to finish you."

"Yeah. Tell us where our president is!" Swizzle demanded. "And the code room!"

"Kill me, 'cause I'm not tellin's you idiots anything!" the soldier chuckled.

"You heard him," Allyn shrugged. "Kill him."

As the guard was feeling pressure on his head, he pleaded, "Wait! Please!"

"You're going to talk, right?"

"I'll talk! The glitch or whatever is locked up in a solitary area until tonight."

"What's happening tonight?" Candlehead inquired.

"Fix-It is set to kill Wreck-It tonight! The master and the prisoners, well, everyone's witnessing it!"

"And where's Wreck-It now?" Zangief demanded, cracking his knuckles.

"Heavily guarded near the master's room. I'm surprised his girl isn't locked up with him. She must be really special to the master for him to keep her around his room."

"I hope you're not talking about Sonia!" Lucia strengthened her hold on the guard, causing him to howl in pain.

"So that's the lucky lady's name. The one who the master took to bed last night." The guard laughed, which enraged the necromancer.

Lucia couldn't believe it. Turbo had done the same thing to her thirty years ago, and she'd cursed herself for not being there in time for Sonia then. But that was going to change. She would make him pay this time.

"So where can I find her prison?" Rancis asked the guard again, flexing his muscles in a threatening manner.

"You mean the glitch? Same floor as the master's room and that Wreck-It joker's."

"We need to get him to lead us to the code room," Luigi said, "We should free the soldiers first so we'll have all the help we can get." The younger Mario stepped forward, fists blazing with green flame. "And he's gonna lead us there. Or some of us."

"We'll go with 'im, Green," Daxter interjected, "Right, Jak?"

"And he'd better not try anything, either," added the elf warrior.

"Us too," Zangief, along with the Hammer Bros. and Goombas, stepped forward. "If he tries anything, I'll break his skull. Now where's the code room?" he demanded the soldier.

"F-Follow me..." the corrupt program stutted, starting to lead them to the back of the room.

"The rest of us should continue up," Candlehead said, "We still gotta find Vanellope."

"And Sonia," added Lucia.

"But what was that thing about Fix-It killing Wreck-It tonight? Obviously, it's one of Turbo's plans, but why have Fix-It do the killing?"

"Pitting two friends against each other, no doubt," Swizzle guessed.

"But we'll find out everything when we find Wreck-It and Vanellope," said Rancis. "We gotta hurry." Then the peanut butter cup racer regarded the witches and Lucia. "Can you four get us up a few floors?"

"No prob, kid," Allyn replied, "But only a few."

"So hope we hit the right floor." Sarah added, joining hands with Allyn and Whitney, the latter grabbing Lucia's.

"You ladies ready?" the purple-clad witch asked after they successfully surrounded the group.

_Bring us to the floor  
Yet a few  
Where Turbo won't find us  
Let our aim be true._

As soon as the final word was uttered, shadows filled the room, shrouding the group. Then everyone vanished.

**Again, thanks for all the reviews and PM's! Glad to see everyone enjoying it so far! Review and tell me what you think!**


	23. Chapter 22

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 22**

"That bastard..." Sonia muttered. "How could he? I hope Lucia's coming to save me from this hell. I don't know how much time is left before Wreck-It and Fix-It's match. And I don't want either of them to die, screw them being the reason our game was unplugged. Damn, I just wish there was something I could do." Then she heard the door open, bracing herself for King Candy, but when the white hammer poked in, her anxiety spiked. "Fix-It Felix?" Sonia watched the corrupt handyman enter, his crimson gaze on her. "What are you doing here?"

"To be honest, I don't know," he said. "I felt the need to on you, even though Turbo didn't wish it of me. Something's been bothering me. Maybe you know what it is?"

Sonia looked at Felix, bewildered. _And here I was expecting him to kill me on the spot, yet... he's asking me some random question. Maybe he's starting to remember himself?_ The slayer scoffed at this. _Yeah, right. As if. There's no way in hell. But then again, there could be a chance if he's asking me for something. I mean, I never know, but at the same time I shouldn't get my hopes up just yet. Play along, Sonny. _"What is it?"

"Did I...have my own game?"

_Ooookay. Didn't see that coming. Maybe there _is_ hope yet. But like before, I can_not_ get my hopes up with this guy. Just need to answer calmly._ "Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know. I ran into a prisoner who claimed he knew me from somewhere. He told me I...had a game."

_Because you do now, Fix-It!_ That was what Sonia wanted to say, but she didn't want to go too far into it yet. She had to let Felix lead on. "You had your own game?"

Felix nodded. "With friends. And I was married too."

"That so?"

"Yeah. But it's still so... fuzzy every time I try to remember. These memories...they've started to hit me ever since I left Wreck-It Ralph's cell. And I can't help but wonder if...if he was telling the truth."

Sonia tried to hide a smirk. _Leave it to Wreck-It to start talking sense into this nightmare. Maybe just seeing the big guy was some sort of trigger, perhaps?_

"I need to ask you," Felix said, looking down, "Did I really have my own game?"

Sonia approached the Good Guy, being careful not to get too close in case of a trick. Finally, she replied, "Yeah."

"What are you doing here?"

Felix and Sonia turned to see King Candy hovering into the room, glare fixed on the former. "You're supposed to be looking after the glitch. Why are you in here?"

"Sorry... I was checking up on her," the handyman lied, "You haven't been back yet, so I was making sure she hasn't tried anything. Not that she would even think of escaping." His eyes narrowed at Sonia, who was taken aback by the sudden change in Felix's attitude.

"I'm back now, though I should thank you, hoo hoo hoo. Now go. You need to get ready for later. Not much longer now."

Felix nodded, then left the room, his eyes remaining on Sonia as he did.

When the Good Guy was gone, Turbo turned on Sonia, anger evident on his face.

"What were you two talking about in here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Felix had to have been doing more than just checking on you in here. What was he asking?"

"Nothing."

The tyrant held her gaze for a second, obviously not buying it. Then he turned away. "I know you're lying to me, Sonia...but you know I will find out." Turning back to her, he pulled her into a kiss. "I'm willing to forgive you this time, though. Because I love you."

"Well, I still don't love you!" Sonia snapped, pulling away from him. "You disgust me. And Lucia had always been right about you. And you know what? It's only a matter of time until Fix-It turns on you. You'll lose your control over him."

Those words enraged Turbo. He slapped the zombie slayer, his sharp claws grazing her cheek and drawing blood. Sonia slowly looked at him.

"You had better realize who you're speaking to," he hissed. "Or you'll be the first one I kill."

The slayer glared back at Turbo, not believing he'd actually kill her, considering he was still in love with her."

"Master!" A soldier burst in.

"What is it now? I've just dealt with a glitch!"

"We have intruders! In the code room and heading up here pretty quickly! Our men are trying to fight them off, but they're getting picked off!"

_Lucia!_ Sonia realized. _And everybody!_

"You fool! Why aren't you down there stopping them?"

"That's the problem. They're too strong! And they're on their way up here!"

"Idiots!" Turbo growled, face glitching to the familiar pale persona. "I picked a game full of idiots!" He hissed a string of curses under his breath. Sonia grinned wickedly, enjoying her ex-boyfriend's anger. It was almost funny, especially when he knew he was in danger of his hard work tumbling down. And that, she knew, was something she was going to enjoy. But when she noticed Turbo looking her way, Sonia recovered her poker face, all amusement gone.

"Master?" the soldier asked.

"Get Felix ready," the evil racer commanded, a dark tone to his voice. "And Ralph."

"But what about the..."

"Don't worry about them! Let them come! They'll be in for a surprise if they think they're going to undo my hard work." Then Turbo noticed the grunt still at the door. "What are you still doing here? Get those two fools ready!"

"Y-Yes sir..." he saluted, then left.

"Looks like I'd better be prepared myself, hoo hoo hoo," Candy smirked, "We're both going to enjoy this, don't you think, Sonia?"

Sonia could find no words to this as she couldn't believe what had just taken place. Now Ralph's death was going to come earlier than expected. _They need to hurry! Lucia! Everyone! Turbo wants Ralph dead as soon as possible! And we're not letting that happen!_

...


	24. Chapter 23

**Hi, everyone! Big thanks for the reviews (though only a few), and I'm sure the others who are following and such are enjoying it too! Now, things are starting to get serious! And exciting! Hope you guys keep enjoying and drop me a review with your opinions. That being said, here's the next chapter!**

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 23**

_"I'M GONNA WRECK IT!" A large, muscular man yelled, then proceeded to wrecking the tall apartment complex._

_"FIX IT, FELIX!" the squat residents shouted._

_Then Felix jumped out. "I can fix it!"_

Felix was jolted out of yet another flashback, slumping against the wall of the hallway not far from the glitch's cell. He'd been getting hit with memories he didn't know he had of himself. They'd been haunting him ever since his conversation with Wreck-It Ralph, who had been in the past several flashbacks he'd had. And he was the villain, not Felix. The Good Guy sighed. Could it have been that Ralph had been right about everything he said about him? Felix still thought it was all a lie, but as the memories of the game he and Ralph had apparently been starring in was starting to hit him more and more, the handyman started to believe that it had actually happened.

"I can...fix it?" He repeated the same he'd said in that memory. "I can fix it. That was me? And I was...in the same game with Wreck-It Ralph, who was obviously the bad guy? I _did_ have my own game. Sonia and Ralph were right, but I still don't get my being married, nor do I remember it. Maybe one of them should know something." Then it hit Felix. "But I'm supposed to kill Ralph in a few, and I was told _he_ was the enemy (he was the bad guy in the game, after all). For some reason, though, I feel that I can't kill him. But at the same time, I can't ignore Turbo's orders."

"Fighting with yourself? Maybe there _is_ hope for you, after all."

Felix turned to notice the glitch speaking from her cell, obviously overhearing his rants. He glared at her, his once-for-a-second blue eyes red again.

"Quiet, glitch," he hissed through the bars.

"Sorry." She rolled her eyes. "I just happened to overhear you, that's all. You know you might want to speak a little more softly next time you decide to rant."

"What I've been having on my mind is none of your business! Once I kill Wreck-It Ralph..."

"You don't mean that. I know you don't, what after remembering you two share a game? You _need_ him, Hammer Time, 'cause without Stinkbrain, what would be there to fix, huh?"

Felix processed this for a long moment. The glitch (as Turbo addressed her) seemed to know him pretty well too. She looked like she knew quite a bit, to be exact, maybe even more."

"Come on, admit it," the glitch smirked, knowing she was outsmarting him. "You're starting to care about Ralphie boy again. And you've cared about him ever since he went Turbo that time to try to become a hero, which was when he and I first met."

"Who are you anyway, glitch? Surely _that's_ not your name."

"Not telling. You know it already, you just don't remember it. Ever since Turbo screwed up your code, your memories've been a mush. Glad to see they're starting to come back, though."

"There you are, Fix-It."

Felix noticed a soldier approaching him. The grunt bowed in respect.

"What do you want?" the Good Guy spat.

"What are _you_ doing talking to the prisoners?" The soldier glanced over Felix's shoulder to notice the woman in the cell. "And the little glitch, of all prisoners."

"She...asked me a question. About...wait a minute, why do I have to answer to _you_? Besides, what does it matter to you that I'm talking with the jailbirds?"

"Because the boss was suspicious about your little conversation with his girl." The grunt smirked in satisfaction. "And I can't help but wonder what in Litwak you guys were talkin' about in there, hmm?"

"I don't have to tell you boo! Forgive my potty mouth there." _Okay, where did __all of _that_ come from?_ Felix wondered as he stared the nosy soldier down. _Never mind for now. I need to blow this guy off._ "Now tell me. What did come here for? To harrass me?"

"No, though it's tempting. I came to get you. Apparently the boss wants that Wreck-It bastard dead as soon as possible. The other men are getting him ready."

"But..." Felix glanced back at the glitch, who was staring pleadingly at him. _I still haven't gotten a chance to ask about the marriage thing._

"Something wrong?" The soldier had his hands on his hips in suspicion. "Don't tell me you've gotten comfy with the glitch, as suspicious as the boss is of you right now. And don't worry, you'll see her down there shortly. She'll be watching you rip the life and code out of that Wreck-It asshole."

"Are you insane? No way am I comfy with a glitch! And there's nothing wrong with me! So Turbo can drop the suspicions of me! I don't understand why I'm doing _his_ dirty work, anyway? Can't help but wonder. Why is he having me kill Wreck-It Ralph?"

The soldier chuckled darkly. "Now that I can't tell you. Boss's orders. Now come on. The glitch'll be there later."

As Felix started to follow the grunt, he darted a nasty smirk at the glitch, though she wasn't buying it. "Until later, glitch."

* * *

When Felix left with the guard, and she was alone again, Vanellope shook her head. She didn't buy the Good Guy's threats, no matter how many he made. She knew he was starting to remember himself. _He_ knew he was. It was only a matter of time.

_Admit it, Hammer Time. You're remembering yourself. You can't kill Ralph, nor can you bring yourself to. And you're going to realize that later. Especially when I saw a little bit of your old self break through. This is gonna be interesting. Can't wait to see the look on Turbo's face!_

**Yep, I was right! Things are DEFINITELY starting to heat up now! I bet everyone enjoyed this part! Don't forget to review on this chapter. I'd love to hear your opinions on this one! Next chapter coming tomorrow! 'Til then, stay sweet!**


	25. Chapter 24

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 24**

"I'm telling you. Turbo-dramatic sure did a good job on screwing these codes over," Daxter was fingering through the broken cords, scattered panels, and corrupt data of _Hero's Duty_. "I don't know what's connected to what!"

"Found anything yet, rodent?" Zangief called out.

"If you're askin' about the many scattered sparks and wires and codes about, yep, this is a disaster!"

"Lemme have a look." Luigi floated in, examining the damage. "Yep, this is gonna take more than just resetting the game." Then he noticed only one panel connected. It was enormous, and read "King Candy," with the tyrant's icon next to the name.

"Turbo.." Daxter realized. "He coded himself in."

"Not for long he won't..." Luigi's fist was blazing green as he floated above the King Candy panel, starting to pull on the wires. "Dexter, take the bottom!"

"It's _Daxter_," the ottsel corrected, going for the bottom and starting their vandalism process.

...

"Whoa..." Lucia gasped. She and the others arrived at a long corridor of cells. Characters were locked up, some even wrestling with the bars and walls. "Turbo and Fix-It's been...busy."

"I don't see Vanellope or Wreck-It anywhere, though," Swizzle was glancing at all the cells, until he found one at the end with Taffyta, Mario, and Calhoun. "Taffyta!"

"Guys, I'm so glad to see you!" The strawberry racer was relieved when the group approached their cell. "Fix-It's gotten so powerful now, it isn't funny. He even kiced Sarge's butt."

"Don't rub it in, cavity," hissed Calhoun. "You need to keep going. Turbo's setting up a duel between Wreck-It and Fix-It in a few, and no question on who he wants to win."

"Duel?" Lucia repeated.

"My husband and Wreck-It are being pitted against each other soon. That asshole is getting him to kill Wreck-It..."

"In front of everybody here!" Mario finished.

"Sadist! Speaking of Ralph, where is he? And Sonia?"

"Vanellope too," added Candlehead.

"A floor up," the Nintendo Good Guy replied. "But I think Turbo's already getting prepared."

"We need to hurry then," Rancis decided, then turned to the witch sisters and Lucia. "Can you witches get everyone out of here?"

"Of course," Whitney smirked, then turned to Eggman. "We're gonna need your help too, Egg..." She suddenly screamed.

"Whit!" Allyn rushed to her sister's side, then noticed a large wound in her torso, obviously from a gunshot. "No..."

"Oh yes, witch."

Then another gunshot was fired, this time making its mark on Sarah, who collapsed as she was starting to flicker into code.

"SARAH!" Then Allyn looked up to see five guards had burst into the room, one of them pointing a gun in the youngest sister's face.

"Looks like the boss was right about the intruders coming here tryin' to bust up the place." The leader said, glancing over the _Sugar Rush_ racers, Eggman, and Lucia. "I take it this is supposed to be the rescue party."

"You killed my sisters!" Allyn thrust her hands forward, sending the gunman flying away from her and into his friend behind him. "YOU KILLED THEM!" She charged at him, raging, but then was grabbed from behind by another guard.

"Hold her down!" The leader commanded.

"Let her go!" Lucia demanded, glaring into the man's eyes and sending a telepathic wave into his mind. The guard screamed in pain, feeling his head was going to split in two.

"Get the blonde!" he shouted.

"No you don't!" Rancis leaped at the two men headed for Lucia, but was pinned down by the leader, who now had his gun to the racer's head.

Everyone else started forward, but was frozen at the _click_ sound of the leader's gun.

"Anyone moves, he dies," he threatened, barrel pressed further into Rancis's head, making his point.

"This is so...low," Swizzle said, a ready tornado dissipating in surrender.

"Damn..." Lucia hissed, realizing there was nothing they could do without risking the peanut butter cup racer's life.

"Rancis!" Taffyta cried from the bars.

"Shut up, bitch!" The leader growled, "Especially when you're in no position to do anything from where you are!" He then turned to his men. "Lock 'em up!"

"Yes, sir!" The others said in unison as they proceeded in capturing the group, dragging them out of the corridor and upstairs to one of the higher cells.

The leader laughed again, then glanced at Rancis, who glared at him. "Don't worry, we'll make sure the boss gives you guys a front row seat for the show." He chuckled. "Who knows, we might be sitting together."

Rancis couldn't believe the casual tone in the soldier's voice. It was...maddening. And Turbo/Candy was insane just arranging such a thing. But as much as the racer hated to admit it, he had failed. He had failed Vanellope, the princess he realized he lover dearly, and the entire arcade. Now nothing was standing in the way of the demented tyrant and his plans. All he could do was wait for the "show" (as the guard had put it) to start. And Rancis feared that _that_ was not going to end well.

**Read and Review!**


	26. Chapter 25

**Hi, everyone! Here's the next chapter! Now we're leading into the "show."**

**Disclaimer: It's been 25 chapters-everyone should know by now. I only own Lucia and Sonia, and the remaing witch Allyn (who's named after a voice actor from the film *hint hint*).**

**Enjoy, everyone!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 25**

"Don't be like that, my angel of darkness." King Candybug was wrestling with a rebelling Sonia. Ever since he returned from making sure everything was prepared for the duel between his "bad guy" nemesis and Fix-It weapon, Sonia had been constantly resisting, throwing punches and kicks and firing curses and insults. Candy was holding her in a pin on the bed. "Not much longer before everything's ready. And then we'll enjoy Fix-It ripping the very code out of that warthog 'hero.' You and the glitch are so lucky to be next to me as you watch it. Aren't you excited, Sonia?"

"You're sick!" she shrieked. "I hate you! I always have and always will! You're a sicko for having someone as sweet as Felix to murder someone like that, especially his own friend! And Vanellope? She'd rather die than see those two going at it! And what makes you think Ralph will bring himself to fight Fix-It, huh? Bastard, if I had my staff right now, you'd be bleeding code all over this floor right now. And I'd be holding up your severed head to prove it!"

Those threats enraged Turbo, as he turned her around and slapped her yet again in the face. He held her so they were face-to-face, his head glitching to his pale persona. "You're in no position to do such thing right now," he hissed. "If I didn't like this side of you, I'd kill you right now. You should show it more often, you know?" He returned to the Candy persona. "I wonder why you never showed me this side when we had fun the first time? Do you just show that side when you're fighting the undead? Or _were_ fighting the undead?" Suddenly he felt a ripple pass through his body.

"What...in the..." Sonia noticed it too, then felt his hold on her loosen as the 17-foot-Cy-Bug hybrid degraded into the diminutive King Candy. _Okay, freaky._ A wicked grin crossed her face as she sat up, looking down at the tyrant, who scowled at her.

"What's so funny? And did you grow, Son...?" He paused mid-sentence as he noticed his change in the mirror, gasping in shock (with a hint of fear). "Milk my duds!" That was when he remembered. _Nobody took care of those fools in the code room? Now they're messing with the codes! _Mine, _to be exact!_

"Looks like someone's lost his power-up," The zombie slayer smirked, "And it's not me."

"Shut up!" Candy hurled a crackling stream of dark energy at Sonia, who barely dodged it. "I still have add-ons, little do they know. Unfortunately for those vandals, this isn't the only game I've reprogrammed, hoo hoo hoo. So now you realize I've done a lot more than corrupt poor Fix-It Felix's codes."

"You control _Fix-It Felix, Jr. _too." Sonia realized. "The game itself?"

"You catch on quite well. Of course, those dwarves haven't realized it yet. I've coded myself into that game as well and uploaded the add-ons you've witnessed just now."

"Bastard."

"Honey, I'll take that as a compliment, hoo hoo hoo."

"Master! We've caught the hackers!" A soldier burst into the room, then noticed the now-diminutive King Candy/Turbo. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Green or whoever you are! You've heard of knocking, haven't you?" Candy asked. "And is what happened to me any business of yours? Bring the fools in!"

Green and two other men dragged a green-clad plumber, an elf warrior, an ottsel, a muscular wrestler, and a few Goombas and Hammer Bros. The tyrant approached them, looking surprised by the plumber, knowing he'd seen a red one exactly like him.

"Unlikely for a bunch of vandals," he said, sizing them up, then stopping at the plumber again, sure that he'd already locked this one up. "Especially this one...what's his name? Marty?"

"It's _Mario_!" the plumber spat. "And I'm not him! You have him locked up somewhere here! Where is he?"

"Yeah, you'd better tell us where everyone is right now, Turbo-zo!" the rodent demanded, fighting against the soldier's hold.

"Where's Lord Bowser, King Pain-in-the-Candy-Ass?" a Hammer Bro. joined in.

King Candy/Turbo cackled. "The same place you'll be in a few. And looking forward to the show, hoo hoo hoo. Now, show these little vandals to their seats, or shall I say, cells."

"Yes, sir." Green saluted. He and the other men proceeded to dragging the group off, but the plumber was resisting as he was kicking and screaming.

"You're not going to get away with this!" his voice echoed.

"I just have, Green Mario." The evil racer smirked. "Sonia, let's go. We have a glitch to pick up before we get down there ourselves." _And I'll be enjoying the look on her face too when she sees her beloved Wreck-It Ralph dead by his friend's hands. And the moment's near, hoo hoo hoo._

**What's going to happen next, I wonder? Sorry to leave you all in suspense so much! Don't worry, the next chapter will be the last chapter before the fight. And then the fun begins! I'm glad to see everyone enjoying this as much as I enjoy writing it! As always, REVIEW! Until next chapter!**


	27. Chapter 26

**Sorry I wasn't able to upload this chapter until now. Midterms were (and still are) in the way right now. This is the last chapter before the friend/foe battle. Enjoy as always, and review! **

**Disclaimer: You should already know.**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 26**

_I hope Candy hasn't hurt her._ Ralph thought, slumping back against the wall of his cell. He was worried about Vanellope, and what the evil racer, or even worse, Felix was doing to her right now. The wrecker hasn't seen or heard her since she'd been recaptured by the tyrant and the corrupt Good Guy. But what had taken his breath away was Vanellope's upgrade (Ralph assumed that was what happened to her when he saw her toe-to-toe with Turbo). He had no idea if it was an accident or if it was intended, but it made the princess/president more fierce and most of all beautiful. Ralph had felt like he was the damsel in distress during the event. He remembered Vanellope's every detail: her longer hair (still littered with candy) and her hourglass figure. The "villain" was starting to have feelings for her, ones that he never had when she was still a child. And how she'd been protecting him from Turbo and Felix was more proof of that. Ralph wondered if she felt the same way. But it wouldn't matter in the end. He knew it wouldn't. The match between himself and Felix was right around the corner, and Vanellope was basically the prize.

And that was another thing. Ralph couldn't fight his own "brother" and best friend. He couldn't. There was no way. He cared about them both. The wrecker and Felix had been buddies since the first Turbo incident, or even before that (maybe Ralph didn't notice it then). And Vanellope, well, she'd been like a little sister to him, even more now that she was an adult. But Candy wasn't giving the wrecker much of a choice. Not to save both, but one. And that was something Ralph couldn't do. If he fought _and_ killed Felix, Vanellope would be safe, but if the "villain" died or refused to fight, the princess was going to die. And that had been tearing at his code more than anything. Ralph hoped there was some other way, some way to save them both.

Then the cell door opened with a _click_.

"Come on, you overgrown ape." It was Kohut, whom Ralph recognized from his first "trip" into _Hero's Duty_. The soldier was flanked with three other unknown soldiers. "It's time. Of course, it's no question who's gonna win this thing."

The others behind him snickered.

"What're you three laughing at? Unchain him!"

There were salutes of "yes sir" as the men proceeded to unlocking Ralph's chains. They tried to help him up, but the wrecker swatted them away.

"I can walk, okay, guys?"

"We're gonna be watching you all the way to the pit," Kohut warned, "So no funny stuff or escape attempts. I'm serious. One false more and Fix-It's getting a handicap."

"He already has one, actually," one of the others sneered.

"Yeah," another agreed, "And she's waiting for you down there right now. Now, come on! Fix-It ain't getting any younger and neither is the boss!"

With that, the three men hauled Ralph off, with Kohut at the wrecker's side.

_There's gotta be a way to get us all out of this. There has to. I'm not letting either of you die, nor am I choosing between you two._

**I know this one was short, but I needed something to lead into the "fun" next chapter. Yes, next chapter is...dun dun DUN! *heh heh* Anyway, I'd love to know your opinions on this. And ideas are welcome, as always. 'Til next chapter. Stay sweet!**


	28. Chapter 27

**Now the moment you've been waiting for! **

**I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 27**

The pit below the _Hero's Duty _fortress was standing room only, with each cell full with at least two characters. The pit was normally used for training purposes outside of arcade hours, but Turbo had apparently been busy when he'd reprogrammed the game. Now it was fashioned more like an arena, and the "seats" that were once there (other than the floor ones) were replaced with the prison cells everyone, including Calhoun, Markowski, Lucia, and the _Sugar Rush _racers, were thrown in, which gave indication that the show that they were witnessing in a few was not the greatest show on earth.

"I seriously hope SOMEONE reached out to my husband," Calhoun grumbled, refusing to give up hope, "Because if I weren't imprisoned in my own game right now, I'd shoot that Fix-It-like malware until I saw a sign of the Fix-It I married."

"Damn, Turbo is a sicko," Lucia said, "We're in the worst jam ever and there's not a thing in hell we can do to get outta this. Even Sonia's still locked up. And Wreck-It, well, he's got it worse if he's forced to go up against Fix-It."

"Especially when he kicked Vanellope's a.. I mean, butt real bad," Rancis added. "And speaking of our pres., I hope King Jackass hasn't hurt her or even killed her."

"He wouldn't."

Everyone regarded Taffyta, who smirked proudly.

"What?" Candlehead raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"You heard me. King Candy wouldn't hurt or kill Vanellope. Not if using her as leverage for Wreck-It."

"But that would mean the big guy would _have_ to fight Fix-It," Markowski realized, sticking his head out as far as he could to listen.

"And he probably hasn't killed Sonia, either." added Lucia, then a disgusting thought came to her mind. _And I hope the bastard hasn't done..._it. _Like he did thirty years ago._

"I'll tell you one thing, guys," said Luigi. He was in the cell above them, with Allyn and Zangief. "This is not gonna be easy to watch. And I doubt it's gonna end well. Imagine Mario and I in Wreck-It and Fix-It's shoes..."

"I'd rather not," Taffyta cut the younger Mario off. "And neither would your bro down here." She jerked a thumb at Mario next to her. "And Candy is a total jerk for not letting you two share a cell. You guys are brothers."

"Yeah," agreed Calhoun, "Those two idiots across from us over there sure are lucky." The sergeant nodded across the pit to Wario and Waluigi, who were in the same cell and wrestling with the bars like crazed chimps reaching for bananas.

"I hope Ralph's got something up that sleeve of his," said Zangief, "'Cause ve don't."

"That makes all of us, dude," Gloyd agreed.

"Welcome, everybody!" Suddenly Turbo's voice blared over the entire pit, causing everyone to silence, which was a first toward a villain. A searchlight lit up, moving toward a curtain, which opened to reveal the evil racer, who was in his original, pale, red-and-white persona. He stepped out onto the high stage, smiling wickedly at the imprisoned audience. "And may I say thanks for dropping by for the event. An event that all of you will never forget!" There were angry shouts, boos, curses, and hand gestures galore as Turbo was waving out to the crowd. "Oh no no, hold your applause. Besides, you're going to need it when I introduce the two combatants for this unforgettable deathmatch!"

"FUCK YOU, TURBO-ZO!" Bowser roared from a nearby cell.

"Go to hell, you game-corrupting ass!" Knuckles (sick from Felix) shouted from one of the top cells.

"Screw you!"

"Wreck-It had better kick his ass! All of it!" shouted a Hammer Bro. "There ain't gonna no ass left unkicked once he's through with you!"

"WHERE'S RALPH?!"

"Felix better not be dead!" A Toad's shout was heard.

"HAVE SOME CANDY, MY ASS!"

The shouts and insults kept coming, and Turbo was enjoying every minute of it. He didn't care if everyone hated him so much. He could with a few pre-game shout-outs. They were music to his ears. When the last of the shouts dissipated, the evil racer continued.

"I'd say a few words myself, but I'd like to get this over with. I have an entire arcade to run, after all. Why don't we bring in my weapon that made this all possible first. He's from a land where little dwarves are about, and has, or shall I say, _had_ a married life with a certain witch." That was when Turbo smirked up at Calhoun, who shot him the finger in return. "Yes, thank you for that. Now let's welcome the star of that shitty _Fix-It Felix, Jr._ game, of course, Fix-It Felix himself!"

A door opened below the tall stage, revealing the corrupt Felix, who was ready as ever as he stepped out into the pit. His crimson eyes screamed the desire to cause pain and destruction as he glanced over every prisoner. Yes, he could imagine ridding the arcade of every single one of them once this match was done.

"I can't watch this..." Candlehead looked away, facing the wall. Mario and Taffyta took either side of her.

"Now to bring out the one who's been a thorn in my side for so long! The halitosis-riddled warthog who thwarted my plans last time and made a fool out of me!" Turbo continued.

"Yeah, with good reason," grumbled Eggman.

"Let's give it up for the bad guy of that same game, the fool who's made friends with a certain glitch. Enter Wreck-It Ralph!"

Another door opened, this one below the cells. The chained Ralph was dragged out into the pit, flanked by Kohut and three other men, who tossed him forward.

"I'm telling you, this is _not_ gonna be pretty," Daxter (in the cell just above the pit), shook his head.

"This is insane, Turbo!" shouted the wrecker, "If you have a score to settle with me, let's do it one-on-one instead of having Felix do your dirty work!"

"Oh, but Ralph," Turbo chuckled, "It's more fun this way. Now I can enjoy watching Fix-It kill you from the comfort of my booth, hoo hoo hoo." Then he noticed the "villain" still chained. "You fools! Unchain him! How can he fight if he's chained?"

"And who said I was fighting Felix?" Ralph challenged. He refused to fight his own friend, even if he had to die for doing so.

"_I_ did, unless you don't want anything to happen to your glitchy princess."

"What?"

Another curtain behind Turbo opened up, revealing Sonia...and Vanellope. They were both chained to a pole... and right behind them were hungry-looking Cy-Bugs. Ralph was now enraged. No way was this monster going to get away with this.

"Let them go right now!" he demanded.

"Oh, I will...if you're willing to fight _and_ kill your best buddy, hoo hoo hoo. And I know that's one thing you won't do."

Ralph's eyes fell on Felix, who was smirking at the thought of getting a handicap for the match. Behind that corrupt exterior, he knew Felix was still in there somewhere, fighting to get out. But on the outside, still, that was his best friend, and Ralph wasn't going to fight him. Then he glanced up at the chained Vanellope and Sonia, the former staring down at the "villain" with pleading brown eyes. He cared about her, and he was going to get her and Felix out of this even if it killed him. But how was he going to do it without risking either of them? Then Ralph glanced back at Felix again, who had energy balls at the ready. An insane expression distorted his face. Ralph knew what he had to do, even though he didn't want to. But this might give him opportunities to reach out to Felix. It was a longshot, but if it offered him a chance to save them both, he was going to take it.

"I see you're still thinking about your decision, Wreck-It Ralph," Turbo cackled. "Not that it'll matter in the end. One of you is going to die in the end, depending on your decision. And I'm certain you'll put your precious glitch at risk to avoid fighting your friend down there."

"I'm fighting." Ralph simply said, causing the crowd to gasp.

"Wait, did I just hear Wreck-It right or am I just deaf?" Bowser asked. "It kinda sounded like the idiot's gonna fight Fix-It."

"We all did, you fool," Eggman said. "And I have a hunch someone's paying the price at the end."

"Or they _all_ are," Lucia interjected. "Keep in mind Turbo doesn't give a rat's ass who wins this thing. Or dies during."

"This is gonna be some serious shit," Swizzle shook his head.

"You said it, man," agreed Rancis.

Turbo smiled wickedly, loving the sound of Ralph's decision. Now he was going to see a show, and was going to enjoy every minute of it. The men unchained the wrecker, shoving him out onto the field and at the mercy of Felix, whose bone-white hammer was at the ready.

"You do realize what and _who_ you're risking, Ralph," the evil racer said.

"I know. After learning that that weapon of yours isn't Felix anymore," the "villain" responded with a confident smirk.

_This ape is acting a little too calm. Maybe he's going to take death like the oaf he is, hoo hoo hoo. Like I care. _With that, Turbo raised a hand up, then swung it down, signaling for the fight to start. "Fight!" Then he cackled, going to his booth and relaxing, ready to enjoy the spectacle.

Felix lunged for Ralph, fists crackling with scarlet energy. He hurled several energy orbs at the wrecker, who narrowly dodged them. One nicked him in the foot, causing him to stumble, but Ralph quickly picked himself up scrambling back to his feet. He stared down the Good Guy, who was ready to launch another flurry.

"Felix, listen to me! This isn't you!" Ralph shouted, trying to talk sense into the handyman. "Turbo's using you as his weapon! He doesn't care if you or anyone else dies! It's me, Ralph! Your best friend!"

"As I said before, you're insane!" The Good Guy this time lunged for the "villain", hammer raised in attack. Ralph again avoided it, then stared at the corrupt Felix, searching for any sign of his buddy and partner inside the piece of malware before him. "And I don't want to hear any more lies! I know you're just prolonging your death, Wreck-It Ralph, but I'm afraid the stalling ends now!" Felix charged for Ralph, crackling energy orbs in hand. He launched one at the wrecker, the projectile flying at full speed.

Ralph had no time to avoid it as he was struck in the leg, reducing his movement.

"Why not fight a little?" Felix taunted as he thrust the other two spheres into the larger man's chest, shoving him into the wall below the cells. "You decided to fight, didn't you? Not that I mind you holding back, but... I've fought the glitch before and even she and her rotten cavity friends gave me a hard time. You, well, you seem to be hesitant. And you know what?" The handyman leaned to Ralph's ear. "It just makes it easier for me."

"Ralph!" Vanellope screamed, struggling with her chains. The princess definitely wished she could do something. She could not bear to see this go on. She couldn't. And even worse, one of them was going to die in the end. Then she would be next.

"Felix..." Ralph struggled to recover, but was pinned to the wall by the Fix-It malware, who smirked at the sight before him. Felix was enjoying every minute of this just as much as Turbo, whose dark smile grew as he watched his weapon carry out his order.

"I thought you were going to fight, Ralph!" the evil racer jeered, "All you're doing is ensuring your death! I see you're holding back! And that's fine with me! Fix-It, carry on!"

At the sudden command, Felix grabbed Ralph by the throat, proceeding to infect the wrecker.

"Felix..." the "villain" pleaded, "You have to...remember. You're not...a virus. You're a...good guy. Something...I tried to...become...once."

"You're still harping on that?" The Good Guy's grip on Ralph grew stronger. "I told you. I'm not listening to your little tales about me and you being friends. Or my being married."

"But...it's true, even..if...you don't want to believe it." The wrecker was starting to feel hoarse by the second from Felix's touch. He was starting to become infected, as he felt his strength draining from him. "You used to fix what I wrecked. You said that yourself, about a million times recently ever since _he_ happened last time." Ralph weakly pointed to Turbo reclining in his booth. "That's how you and Calhoun met too. And she's up there, watching you, Felix." That was when Ralph nodded up to one of the cells above him, though not knowing which one the sergeant was in exactly.

"And let me guess, we're married. I know that's what you're going to say next, so go ahead."

Ralph smirked, knowing what was coming next if he confirmed it. But he didn't care. Felix could throw him around like a ragdoll a million times or deliver blows like the fighters in _Street Fighter II_, and it still wouldn't change the fact that everything the wrecker said to him were true. As long as Vanellope and everyone else was safe, Ralph didn't care what happened to him. Eventually, Felix would remember himself, and then Turbo would pay for the destruction and all the victims who suffered from his psychotic ways.

"It's true, Felix, whether you believe me or not," the "villain" finally said. "You may not believe me, but I know the Felix that's fighting to free himself does. And you're not him. You're just malware that resembles him. And eventually, Felix will fight to the surface, and you'll be nothing but a memory. Or nothing at all."

Those words enraged the corrupt handyman, as his free fist crackled with scarlet energy. He delivered yet another blow into Ralph's chest, this one more powerful than the last. The wrecker yelled in agony, the pain coursing through every area of his code.

"Stop it!" Vanellope yanked harder on the chains, "Hammer Time, that's enough!"

"Quiet, glitch!" Turbo hissed behind him. "I'm trying to enjoy this and so should you! Like there's anything you can do."

The princess scowled at the evil racer. She wasn't letting him get away with this, but he was right. She couldn't do anything, not while she was chained. She watched as Felix threw down the infected Ralph, pinning him to the ground.

_Felix..._has _gotten stronger. Strong enough to throw _me_ around._ Ralph realized as he was face-to-face with his partner, who was standing over him. The Good Guy's body was crackling with energy, ready to unleash hell on the wrecker.

"This _was_ too easy," Felix chuckled, energy coursing all the way to his gloved hands for a deadly attack. Ralph closed his eyes, awaiting the blow, knowing there was nothing he could do. He was weakened, infected, and subdued, which gave the handyman the excellent opportunity to finish the job.

"Yes! This is it, hoo hoo hoo! Though it didn't take as long as I expected," Turbo rose from his seat in the booth, getting a closer view of what would be Felix's killing blow. "But who's complaining? I just want the warthog dead! Finish him, my virus!" The ex-racer cackled.

"I can't watch this!" Tails (sharing a cell with Knuckles) turned his head, facing away from the action.

"Let this be a nightmare, Taffyta," Candlehead pleaded, starting to sob. She buried her face into Taffyta's chest.

"Fix-It..." Calhoun whispered, tears starting to form as Markowski and Mario came to her side to comfort her. "Please...don't do this... You're a good guy. You're too sweet to do this. I know there's still good in you somewhere in that corrupt code! And...I love you!"

"Felix..." Ralph weakly said as he glanced over everyone in the cells, at the chained Vanellope and Sonia, then finally into the eyes of his death in the form of his best friend. "You don't...have to...do this... But...it's your decision... You can...break free... and stop this nightmare,...or you can...finish the job and kill me, even after I tried...to reason with you. You know,...it's kinda funny. I didn't imagine...my death would turn out like this." He closed his eyes once more, bracing himself for the Good Guy's attack that would spell his game over.

Only it never came.

"R-Ralph... Wh-What's...going on? What...am I...doing?"

The wrecker opened his eyes to see the familiar blue eyes of his partner, who was confused as he was looking down at his hands, then at Ralph.

"Felix? Is that...? You're..."

But the Good Guy was still looking down on what he had done, staring in horror at the infected and severely injured Ralph. He couldn't believe it. Everything of that night came back to hit him. Turbo had corrupted his code, which had been the last thing he remembered. But as he was face-to-face with all the damage it caused, including the near-dead Ralph, Felix realized how far it had gone.

"Wh-What...have I done?" The handyman sunk to his knees, tears starting to form. "Ralph... I'm...I'm..."

"What the hell's goin' on down there?" Bowser wondered as he noticed Felix on his knees. "Whoa."

"Is it me or is Fix-It...himself again?" Lucia was bewildered by the sight.

"Is it over?" Candlehead turned back to the pit, gasping to see that Ralph was still alive, although barely. What surprised her more was Felix, who was now crying.

"What in the...?" Turbo was beside himself as he was witnessing the scene in the pit. Felix remembered himself, that much he was certain. Otherwise, Ralph would have been most certainly dead. _Damn! The idiot remembers himself! That warthog must've reached out to him pretty well!_

"Felix..." Ralph reached for his nemesis/partner, but the latter pulled away.

"Stay away from me! Please. Before I end up actually killing someone."

"But...you won't... You're...back..."

Felix only shook his head at this, backing away slowly. "I'm not, Ralph. I'm not a good guy anymore. And I gotta get out of here." He ran back through the door he emerged from, sobbing.

"Fix-It..." Calhoun watched her husband flee. _Where is he going to go?_ Then she noticed Turbo glitch down from his booth and appearing at the crippled Ralph, dark energy sphere in his fist. "WRECK-IT!"

"RALPH, NO!" Vanellope was enraged now, pulling at the chains as much as she could but they wouldn't budge.

"Vanellope, stop!" Sonia urged, "It's no use!"

"I gotta save Ralph!" The princess pulled harder, a blue electric current coursing from her to the chains. She wasn't going to let Turbo finish off the one person she cared about. She was going to save him, just like he had last time.

"I don't need Fix-It to kill you, Ralph, hoo hoo hoo." the demented racer was smirking down at the "villain," who scowled. "Besides, he's already weakened you."

Then a blue energy sphere slammed into Turbo, knocking him off his feet.

"Who was the...?" Then he looked up to see Vanellope standing over him, her brown eyes piercing daggers into his. She had more projectiles at the ready, eager to put an end to the psychotic creature. She stood between him and Ralph. The princess was going to protect the wrecker, even if it meant her life at stake.

"Leave him alone!" she growled.

"How did you get out of your leash, glitch? You know what? I don't care! You two can die together then!" Scrambling to his feet, Turbo unleashed a stream of dark energy at Vanellope, who dodged it quickly. She responded with a stream of crackling blue energy at the evil racer, but this time, it didn't make a scratch on him.

"What the...?" Then Vanellope noticed a faint onyx force field surrounding Turbo, who smirked at the surprised look on the princess/president's face.

"Just an add-on of mine, along with others that I have. Now what will you do, Vanellope?" The ex-racer cackled, conjuring up another sphere and hurled it at Vanellope, who took it full force. She spasmed, sinking to her knees next to the weakened Ralph.

"Vane...llope..." the wrecker said weakly, his vision starting to dim.

_I gotta get Ralph outta here!_ The princess glanced over at the "villain," then at the prisoners, Calhoun and Taffyta specifically. Then at Rancis, Candlehead, Swizzle, and Gloyd. She didn't want to leave them at the mercy of the insane tyrant, but looking down at Ralph and his subdued state, she knew she didn't have much choice. Besides, she didn't have a key to any of the cells, and Turbo had made sure Markowski was empty-handed upon being locked up again. If she stayed any longer, she was going to get herself killed, along with Ralph, what with Turbo's add-ons that she wasn't aware of. She couldn't carry the wrecker all the way out of _Hero's Duty_-he was too heavy, and the fact that he was near death added on to that weight. But she'd never tried glitching anyone other than herself. Plus it was for short distances. But with the upgrade, maybe she could. It was worth a shot.

"Looks like it's game over for you two," Turbo sneered, his entire body crackling with energy. "And this time, I'll make sure of it!"

"Wanna bet?"

The demented racer turned to notice that Sonia had broken out of her chains, tackling him down to the floor in a pin.

"Sonny...?"

"Run, Vanellope! Get out of here!"

"But what about...?" Vanellope glanced around at the many cells of the locked-up characters, then at Sonia, who was trying to hold Turbo down as long as possible.

"You need to go! Take Wreck-It and glitch out of here!"

"I can't leave everyone..."

"GO!" Sonia urged.

"Please...Van...ellope..." Ralph pleaded, life slipping away from him.

_Sonny's right. We need to get out of here!_ Vanellope took one last look at everyone. _I'll be back for you all. I promise._ With that, the princess closed her eyes, focusing. _Concentrate. You have extra baggage with you this time. Focus...glitch!_

Vanellope vanished, along with Ralph.

"NO!" Turbo growled, shoving Sonia off him and glaring down at the slayer. "You...WITCH!" The evil racer slapped her across the cheek, though it didn't graze her skin like when he'd been a Cy-Bug.

"HEY!" Bowser roared. "You can't hit a woman!"

"YEAH!" The Koopas, Hammer Bros., and Goombas agreed.

"Learn your place, flame-ridden reptile! You and your pack of turtle scum! Or you'll be the first one I kill before I find that glitch and the warthog!"

"Good luck," Sonia chuckled, which earned her a glare that could kill from her ex-boyfriend. But she kept going. "They wouldn't hide in _Fix-It Felix Jr._, or anywhere in Game Central Station, for that matter."

"I'll find them eventually, my love," Turbo chuckled darkly. "Who knows? They'll come back later to save their friends. And that's when I'll end their game once and for all. Either way, I'll be waiting." The tyrant cackled maniacally.

_Vanellope, Wreck-It,_ Sonia thought, _I hope you guys know where you're going._

**Longest. Chapter. Ever. Sorry this one was so late! I wanted to get as much action in as possible. Nice turn of events, huh? As always, hope you guys enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next chapter! **

**Please read and REVIEW! Now accepting ideas for the sequel, far as arcade games you want to see in it, events, and other suggestions. Or of course, opinions. Next chapter should be up in a few days!**


	29. Chapter 28

**Hi, everyone! We're driving into the homestretch and leading into the next installment of my trilogy. Unfortunately, most of the reviews I've been getting lately are from guests. I'm glad the ones who are following are reading and enjoying this too, but I would like some feedback or opinions on it too, now that we're in the aftermath of the "gladiator show." Again, I'm not being ungrateful. Far from it. I love it when people are interested in reading my work, but sometimes I need some feedback such as an "I like this" or a "Keep going". And I know a few of you have been reviewing every other chapter or every chapter and given me some sort of ideas.**

**That being said, here's the final chapter!**

**Also, to reply to the guest review with the idea:**

**To i fix it felix: The next one is not exactly a sequel, but it's a continuation of the "Viral Empire" series. But it's the 2nd installment, so it is kinda a sequel. **

**Now for the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Same as the previous 27 chapters.**

**Rise of the Viral Empire**

**Chapter 28**

"That took a lot outta me," said Vanellope, setting Ralph down for a brief pause. She had glitched out of the Turbo-conquered _Hero's Duty_ and into a dimmed and ruined Game Central Station. Cy-Bugs were swarming about, consuming anything and everything and going in and out of the ruined games. The princess took in the sight, knowing it was not a pretty one. "Sweet mother of monkey milk. Pajama Boy sure did a good job of this."

"Princess von Schweetz? What are you doing here? You know it's dangerous! And what happened to you? More importantly, what happened to _him_?"

Vanellope glanced behind her to see one of the many Surge Protectors behind her. Unlike the emotionless expression he had everyday in the arcade, he looked panicked...and a bit concerned. But most of all fearing the hell that was going on around them.

"What are _you_ still doing here?" the princess redirected the question. "It's just as dangerous for you. I just got out of _Hero's Duty_. You know Turbo made that his main fortress. He pit Ralph and Felix against each other!"

"That explains what happened to Wreck-It," the Surge Protector realized, examining the unconscious "villain". "Hey, I'm no doctor, but I know you might need to get him out of here. He looks like he's infected."

"Uh, ga-doy! He _is_. And what do you mean get out of Game Central Station? There's nowhere other than here to go!"

"There is, actually, Princess. I guided everyone coming from _Sugar Rush_ there earlier."

"Wait, don't tell me that means..."

"I'm afraid those Cy-Bug things got in there too. I've no idea how, as those witches made sure they wouldn't try to get in. But good news: everyone made it out of there safe."

"But where are they?" Vanellope inquired.

"That's why I want you to follow me. You need to get out of here now."

Vanellope nodded, proceeding to follow the Surge Protector, until she remembered something. "Where's Hammer Time?"

"Who?"

"Felix. He got out of _Hero's Duty_ too. We need to get him out of here too!"

"I've tried to several times, Princess, but he insisted on staying here when I mentioned the group from _Sugar Rush_. He kept saying things like not wanting to kill anyone else and sparing them if he stayed here. He didn't sound like himself, so I gave up. Then he went back into his own game, which I'm pretty certain is just as dangerous."

"But it is. And I need to get him out before..."

"Look, Princess. You can't right now. Not without getting killed. The best you can do for him and everyone else right now is get out of Game Central Station. And Wreck-It Ralph doesn't look like he's going to last any longer, so we need to get you out of here!"

Vanellope sighed. "All right." Hoisting Ralph on her shoulders the best way she could (he was quite large for a man), she followed the Surge Protector to a far corner of Game Central Station, near the _Sonic the Hedgehog _port. Double doors awaited them, opening to reveal a long tunnel. "Where does this lead to?" They started to follow the corridor, which lasted for what felt like an eternity.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, Vanellope was confused by a long train appearing before them. Unlike the ones that lead to the individual games, this one was sleek, and looked like it could house a multitude.

"What game does this go to?" Vanellope inquired, "Is there one I don't know about?"

"It doesn't lead to a game," said the Surge Protector. "It leads to another _arcade_. A hub called Outlet Central. I don't know what arcade it is, though. But I do know the escapees from _Sugar Rush_ are there. And you should be on your way too." Opening one of the doors, Surge hurried Vanellope, who was still hanging on to Ralph, on the train." The hologrammed guard, however, didn't follow suit. Vanellope raised an eyebrow at this.

"Aren't you coming?" The princess asked.

"I can't. We can't leave the hubs we're designated to. Go tend to Wreck-It, Princess. You'll need him if you have any chance of taking back this arcade."

The train started to depart. All Vanellope could do was look back as the Surge Protector vanished back into the destroyed Game Central Station. She was also worried about Felix, whom she hoped would be okay. From his regret back at the pit in _Hero's Duty_, she was certain he didn't want to be around anyone right now. She sighed, facing forward again and toward whatever awaited her up ahead.

_The best I can do for everyone...is to run. Yeah, Vanellope. And leave everyone behind for Turbo to kill while you're at it. That's just great. And the move of a scaredy cat. But if it's going to save Ralph and help take back the arcade, then I kinda understand what everyone's talking about._

**Wondering what'll await Vanellope and Ralph? All will continue in the sequel to the "Viral Empire" series! Thanks to everyone who's been following and favoriting every bit of this fic! I'm so grateful! But as I said above, I'd like to hear your opinions on it, and/or some suggestions and ideas (if any) for the next installment! That being said, I'm glad you all enjoyed reading this! And I hope you're hungry for more in the next one!**

**Read and REVIEW!**


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